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TITLE: A Sabbath Rest for God's People By Nanci Anne Bunch 05/25/08 |
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Everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction,
So that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.
His name may be lost to posterity, but his message has lived on for nearly two millennia. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament implores his audience to be certain none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the Living God - that none of you may become hardened by sin’s deception. He declared the solution is to become partners with Christ, by which we hold firmly to our confidence and hope. He then refers to a Sabbath rest which remains for the people of God.
What is a Sabbath Rest? Is there hope for rest and peace? Is it truth or religious psychobabble? Unlike the letter’s recipients, I have no Hebrew
religious or cultural training. I will start at the very beginning to grasp and apply the
concepts.
Let the whole earth fear the LORD! Let all who live in the world stand in awe of him!
He spoke, and it came into existence, he issued the decree, and it stood firm.
O LORD my God, you are magnificent. You are robed in splendor and majesty, and covered with light…
May the splendor of the LORD endure! May the LORD find pleasure in the living things he has made!
The concept of a transcendent immortal Creator who has always and will always exist is beyond the boundaries of comprehension for someone like me whose knowledge, experience, and reality is limited to a universe governed by time and space and populated with mortals, but evidence supports this claim.
The 20th Century discovery of the rapidly expanding universe clearly established that the universe is not static or constant – there was an absolute beginning. A beginning requires a Creator who put it all in motion existing apart from and outside of the creation.
This Creator is smarter and more powerful than what was created, with attributes surpassing those of the creation. The Creator is sovereign - He owns the entire creation. A Sovereign has absolute power and authority to establish all laws and rules. More than 3,000 years before the discovery of the expending universe the LORD God of the Universe stated that His existence and reign is eternal. Why am I not surprised?
It began as a thought in His Omniscient mind. His Omnipresent Spirit hovered. His Omnipotent word come forth – “Let there be light.” According to physicist Steven Weinberg when it came into existence “The Universe was filled with light.” The Bible adds “And there was light.” Weinberg continues “it was light that then formed the dominant constituent of the universe.” God is light. In Him there is no darkness at all. God was, is, and will always be the beginning and ending of everything.
“O LORD, our Lord,” David sang “how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth! You reveal your majesty in the heavens above!” When I consider God’s creation I am in awe. Time, space and amazingly intricate laws of the universe are all part of His plan. He created earth with exact properties to sustain life along with galaxies of stars billions of light years away. Cosmologists postulate there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on earth.
David expressed his wonder, “When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made, and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them?” But, He does.
How blessed is the one who finds pleasure in obeying the LORD’s commands.
He meditates on his commands day and night. He is like a tree planted by flowing streams.
It yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never fall off. He succeeds in everything he attempts. Certainly the LORD guards the way of the godly,
God completed all His creation, then “blessed the 7th day and made it holy.” Unlike the 6 days of creation, this “day” indicates no evening or morning. The Creator said this “day” was to be honored, set apart, and distinguished from all others because He “ceased all the work that He had been doing in creation.” What God creates is complete - nothing needs to be added!
God’s last and most esteemed creation, fashioned in His own likeness, received the breath or spirit of life from God’s own nostrils and became a living being. God created woman from man, then surrounded them with honor and majesty - covered with His love, placed them in this honored “day. He then gave purpose for life - be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it!
Before they were even created, God had already provided a safe idyllic environment to meet every physiological need. He validated their worth and fulfilled the longing He placed in their psyche for intimacy, loyalty, unconditional love, acceptance and companionship. Their intellect and spirituality were stimulated as He personally tutored them about creation, life and Himself. God’s adored creation lost it all because they listened to a serpent’s dulcet voice implying God was withholding some really good thing - insinuating God wasn’t needed. Maybe it happened like this:
According to the gorgeous stranger, the short-cut to real happiness was down the scenic Self-help Disobedience Trail detour which, just around the corner, connected with The Good Life Boulevard where Destiny Fulfillment awaited. It was, he assured the woman, the only way to go. She only needed to take an itty-bitty bite of fruit from a lovely tree - the knowledge of good and evil.
Pride opened a tiny portal in her mind leaving just enough room for Doubt to slip through, producing a new thought - We can be smarter than God! Arrogance widened the entrance, beckoning Discontent to follow. Why did God order the man ‘you must not eat from that tree’? God never said anything to me. How can He know what actually makes me happy? She surveyed the beautiful garden. Nothing was as ravishing as the forbidden tree. The door to her soul opened wide for Lust, joined with Disobedience, to march right in, harmonizing with the insidiously corrupting thought choral. Innocence and purity were forever banished. She plucked some enticing beautiful fruit and shared her bounty with the man.
Oblivious to gathering clouds they gleefully skipped toward their goal, until they took their first bite. They stumbled on sharp stones protruding from the narrowing darkened pathway. Paralyzed by terror they fell right at Gotcha Dead End. Behind the crumbling pathway became a gaping chasm. They were trapped. Retreat was impossible. They had sinned. How could they call 911 and admit what they had done? The first heated argument ensued. He said it was all her fault. No, she said. The deceiving beguiling stranger is to blame. He made me do it.
Shackled by fresh new chains from the Original Fear, Guilt and Shame Manufacturer, afraid to face God, they cowered in darkness. But He came looking for them. He tenderly rescued them and provided a covering for their sin. But there were consequences. Their sin launched the cycle of physiological, spiritual, social and intellectual death infecting each succeeding generation.
Adam and Eve’s sin of pride separated them from God and became transgression against His law. Thus began humanity’s unrelenting battle in pursuit of freedom from bondage, liberation from want and oppression, in quest of peace and destiny fulfillment. The father of iniquity - the proud, jealous, vindictive enemy of both God and humanity, continues to terrorize, enslave, impose destruction, dictate death, deficiency and depression, engender envy, strife and hatred, and distort one’s ability to perceive God’s truth or hear His voice. Listening to the enemy’s lies renders a person vulnerable to doubt, discontent and disobedience. Is there any hope?
All evidence indicates that even though God was highly offended by humanity’s wickedness and evil as they continued down Self-help Disobedience Trail, He continued His zealous pursuit. In spite of humanity’s pride, behaving as if God wasn’t relevant, He strategized to communicate the revelation of His deliverance. He stopped them in their tracks with a devastating flood, so they would know He is in charge of everything. Again He offered abundant temporal and eternal life destiny fulfillment.
God is great – beyond our knowledge!
God speaks, the first time in one way, the second time in another, though a person does not perceive it.
Indeed, God does all these things, twice, three times, in His dealings with a person,
To turn back his life from the place of corruption, that he may be enlightened with the Light of Life.
The ancients understood God’s truth. Elihu, perhaps a contemporary of Abraham, cautioned listen carefully to the thunder of His voice, to the rumbling that proceeds from His mouth. God thunders with His voice in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding. He causes everyone to stop working, so that all people may know His work. Whether it is for punishment or mercy, He causes it to find its mark. Centuries after Elihu, God used 7 events during about a year to reveal Himself. Each gift reveals the LORD God, our Sovereign Protector who bestows favor and honor, and withholds no good thing from those who have integrity contrasted with futility of the idol of pride: reasoning one is smarter than God, insinuating God isn’t needed.
1. Release, Rescue, and Redemption
God’s chosen people, the Children of Israel, commonly called Hebrews, were hopelessly enslaved in Egypt. When they realized there was nothing in-and-of-themselves they could do to assuage their suffering or escape from slavery, they humbly asked God for help. Divine intervention was essential. They wanted freedom! After they prayed, nothing changed. Did God care? Was God even relevant?
From God’s perspective, He heard their desperate cries, remembered His covenant with their ancestors, saw their hopeless circumstance, and understood. Unknown to the people, His deliverance plan began some 80 years earlier when to be born male and Hebrew was a capital offense. A baby boy was conceived and God intervened to ensure his life was preserved. Ironically, the daughter of the same Pharaoh who decreed the death sentence adopted the child Moses as her own son. Moses grew up to be an esteemed Prince of Egypt, perhaps even the crown prince.
A person with specific credentials was required to lead the Children of Israel from Egyptian slavery to the Land of Promise: a highly educated Hebrew with in-depth knowledge of contemporary law, treaties, covenants, as well as Egyptian royal protocols and historical archives. Moses was the one person in the entire world who met the criteria, but God’s couldn’t use a proud esteemed Prince of Egypt. Moses needed three additional characteristics to complete the task.
God placed in Moses’ heart the desire to help his fellow Hebrews, but in his one clumsy attempt he murdered a slave master, alienated his Hebrew brethren and, again, a Pharaoh decreed Moses should die. Rejected by everyone, Moses fled for his life, and became a fugitive shepherd secreted away in the desolate Midian desert. What Moses may have perceived as hopeless defeat and end of his dream to liberate his people, was God’s fore-ordained preparation. To be God’s instrument and fulfill His covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), lead the Children of Israel to the Land of Promise, and record the Pentateuch, Moses had to learn humility and obedience, and to know God intimately.
At His appointed time, God took action. Moses was shepherding the flocks when he noticed a thorn bush spontaneously burst into flame. “This is an amazing thing,” Moses thought. “Why isn’t the bush burning up?” Moses strolled closer to have a better look. Suddenly a Voice from within the bushed called “Moses, Moses!” He must have been startled – a talking bush?
How long had it been since Moses had heard a human voice? Moses thought he was well hidden. Who knew where to find him? But, the Voice knew him by name. “Here I am,” Moses responded. The Voice commanded “Don’t come any closer! Take your sandals off your feet. You are standing on holy ground.” This was no ordinary encounter.
“I am the God of your father’ the Voice continued “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” God then commissioned Moses to return to Egypt. I have surely seen the affliction of my people. I have heard their cry. I know their sorrows. I have come down to deliver them and bring them to a land that is both good and spacious, to a land flowing with milk and honey. I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt. Moses then wanted to know His name. In Egyptian culture, adopted by the Hebrews, every god had a name. “If I go to the Israelites and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘what is his name?’ – what should I say to them?”
“I AM that I AM. You must say this to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ The LORD, the God of your fathers is my name forever.” The name God gave to Moses, “I AM,” is the Hebrew word hâyâh, which is more a declaration of existence - first person singular present/future form - and total character description than a definition. I AM He who causes everything else to be – He who is, and who was, and who is still to come - the One who is always present tense. I AM is fulfillment of whatever is needed.
Upon arrival in Egypt, Moses reported the LORD’s message “I will bring you out from your enslavement. I will rescue you. I will redeem you. I will take you to myself. I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God. I will bring you to the land I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD!”
During the next approximately 10 months the Egyptians and Hebrews personally witnessed God’s intervention and power. Egypt’s proud culture and religion considered everything to be under the control of their gods, especially the sun god Ra. After the LORD executed judgments on the gods of the Egyptians, Pharaoh’s pride and stubbornness finally dissolved. After Israel celebrated their first Passover feast acknowledging the LORD is God, Pharaoh delivered his ultimatum to Moses in the middle of the night: “Get up, get out! Go, serve the LORD!” Before dawn, Moses and perhaps 2 million people along with their flocks and herds moved out.
2. Don’t be afraid - The LORD will fight for you - you can be still
When Pharaoh released the people, God directed them in a circuitous route through the desert until they camped by the seashore at the edge at Egypt’s eastern border. “Pharaoh will think, ‘They are wandering around confused in the land – the desert has closed in on them,’ the LORD told Moses. “ I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them. I will gain honor because of Pharaoh and because of all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”
Pharaoh was aghast when he realized they were gone. “What in the world have we done? We have released the people of Israel from serving us!” Immediately Pharaoh mustered all the military - warriors, charioteers, and officers, and left in hot pursuit of Moses and the Children of Israel.
When the people spotted the approaching Egyptian army they were terrorized and cried out to the LORD. Then they blamed Moses. “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the desert? What in the world have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt? We told you ‘leave us alone.’ It’s better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
Moses believed God’s word. “Don’t be afraid!” he shouted. “Stand firm and see the salvation of the LORD that he will provide for you today; for the Egyptians that you see today you will never, ever see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you can be still.”
It happened just like Moses said. God protected them. His own angel hid them from the Egyptian army. Then, Moses stretched out his hand toward the sea. With a strong east wind, the LORD drove the sea apart. Moses, the people, and their flocks and herds walked all night on the dried seabed as the water formed a wall on either side, until they were outside Egyptian territory.
Before day break, Pharaoh and his army fell into the LORD’s trap. They saw Moses and the people escaping so they charged directly into the seabed in pursuit of their quarry. Toward the middle, chariot wheels jammed and fell off, stuck in the mud. The panicked army realized they were doomed. “Let’s gets out of here! The LORD fights for Israel against Egypt!” Moses lifted his hand toward the sea. As the sun arose, when Pharaoh expected their sun god Ra to rescue them, the water returned to normal and covered warriors, chariots, and officers – none survived. On that day, the LORD saved Israel from Egypt’s power. When the people “saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians, they feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.”
3. I, the LORD, am your healer
Three days after Moses and the people participated in the awe inspiring miraculous Red Sea crossing permanently eliminating their enslavers, they entered an uninhabited barren, harsh, desolate region and had no water. Water is essential for life. What were they to do? The people’s reaction was thoroughly contemporary. They focused on what was perceived to be the problem and harshly complained about their leader. The water they found was as distasteful as their complaining - poisonous and bitter, unfit for consumption. What happened to their confidence? Neither God nor Moses changed.
The people had the freedom from bondage they sought, but refused to release fixed victimization attitudes and habits. They continued to behave like slaves. God wasn’t giving them what they wanted. They expected the eagerly anticipated journey to the Land of Promise to be unhampered by any challenges - they had already suffered enough! They were, thank you very much, very satisfied with shackles to pride, disobedience, and unforgiveness. Anger, hostility, and revenge felt so good! They were content with inherited traditional religions, including idol worship. They had no desire to be obedient, completely depend on God to meet every need, for their hearts and spirits to be transformed, or to be in personal intimate fellowship with Him. When all the pent-up hostility, animosity, and hatred they felt when in bondage spewed out, they were re-enslaved by their own attitudes and words. Each complaint, every whine, all rebellion against their circumstances, evidence they didn’t actually fear God or believe in Moses, strengthened the enslaving emotional and spiritual bondage.
Moses responded by humbly crying out to the LORD who revealed the solution. A nearby tree thrown in the lake transformed the water into the sweet source of life. The solution, prepared long before they arrived at the place of bitter water, wasn’t perceived until one person sought and listened to God’s voice instead of the whining, shrill, rebellious cacophony erupting from the crowd.
Even though the people failed the 1st test of faith, the LORD responded with love and a promise: “If you will diligently obey the LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then all the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians I will not bring on you, for I, the LORD, am your healer” He then manifested His love.
4. The LORD takes me to lush pastures and refreshing water. He restores my strength - I lack nothing
From the time they fled Egyptian slavery, a canopy of the LORD’s glorious presence, observable evidence of His protection, covered Moses and the people. During the day a cloud pillar provided shade from the desert’s relentless heat. A column of fire lit up the night sky. Day or night, they camped or journeyed based on the LORD’s unerring global positioning system. From the place of bitter water, the cloud and fire hovered over twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees. They set up camp.
The LORD, their Sovereign Protector who withholds no good thing, gifted the people with a rest stop in a lush fertile location with abundant water in the middle of a desert wasteland. His presence hovered and protected them so they could consider all His work, receive His healing and complete liberty - freedom from spiritual bondage and emotional enslavement.
External bondage and tyranny emancipation is not simultaneous rescue from insidious internal servitude which destroys one’s soul. Every unresolved disappointment or resentment, each unloving attitude or jealousy, all harbored offenses, any humiliating negative impact or perceived wrong for which one expects reparation, redress, or vindication creates emotional, spiritual, an/or physical bondage to those thoughts and attitudes.
A person may feel angry and victimized by circumstances beyond one’s control such as a job loss, layoff or firing, death or estrangement from significant persons in one’s life, or debilitating accidents and illnesses. Anger and need for self-justification or an impulse for revenge is the usual response to humiliation or perceived injustice. A victim becomes constrained by invisible but powerful manacles, anchored to a toxic downward spiral of pride, self-pity, jealousy, bitterness and unforgiveness.
Concealed internal slavery is exposed through attitudes and behavior such as self-righteousness, defensive responses or excusing inappropriate behavior. One attempts to avoid personal responsibility or introspection by shaming and blaming another person or circumstance, complaining, criticism and fault finding, even refusing to admit even an error or mistake. Protestations of “why me” or “I don’t deserve this” are often overheard. Addictions and sexual perversions are obvious responses of a person who feels fearful and victimized or perceives one’s self to be an alienated misfit.
Each person has the choice to humble ones self to God and accept His rescue, release, and redemption, or desperately cling to those stubborn lethal shackles of pride and unforgiveness by which one is blinded to God’s action, unable to hear His voice, and denied entrance into the Land of Promise.
When the people were rested, refreshed and revitalized the cloud and fire lifted from the oasis and they continued on their journey. Had they used this time to ponder God’s works, to know Him intimately and accept His complete deliverance?
5. Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
A month after they began their journey the people faced their 2nd test of faith. When the food supply was exhausted God watched to see how they would react. While suffering Egyptian enslavement, the people cried out desperately to God. He heard their entreaties and responded with love – rescue, release, and redemption. Had they learned God would continue to provide?
From the people’s perspective, when confronted with a serious problem or emergency, someone else was at fault and had to be blamed. Nearly everyone was engulfed by an all consuming amnesia epidemic. Complaining, criticism, and rebellion built to a crescendo. “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this desert to kill this whole assembly with hunger!”
From the LORD’s perspective, they were being tested and humbled so they could learn their continued existence was not based on food, but every word the LORD speaks.
The LORD responded with love, provision and a measurable evaluation of their source of confidence. “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you and the people will go out and gather the amount for each day, so that I may test them. Will they or will they not will follow my direction?”
Moses repeated the message, “You will know this when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and bread in the morning to satisfy you, because the LORD has heard your murmurings that you are murmuring against Him.” “As for us, what are we?” Moses added. “Your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.” The Hebrew verb vayyillonu (from lun) translated as murmuring, is closer to rebellion – questioning God’s abilities and motives. The people didn’t perceive their self-pity as behaving obdurately with God. They were acting naturally. It was Moses who was wrong.
The LORD displayed His glory in the sky and caused a massive quail migration to land in the encampment. Roasted, boiled, broiled, or fried fowl was the delicacy on everyone’s dinner menu. The following morning a foreign white substance with an appearance of coriander seed and taste of wafers with honey covered the ground. Moses explained this alien matter was not of natural origin. It was heavenly bread, a gift from God to satisfy their hunger and sustain every physical need.
The LORD established specific direction so each person would be bountifully sustained by His abundance: there was sufficient heavenly bread for everyone. Heavenly bread had to be gathered early each day before it melted in the heat of the day. A new supply of heavenly bread would arrive on six days during each week. Horded heavenly bread saved overnight to ensure future provision spoiled, grew maggots and stank – except, on the 6th day, the people were to gather and prepare enough for two days. The 7th day was a time of rest and cessation from work, a holy Sabbath to the LORD.
Would it not seem logical that the miraculous food provisions, the sign of the LORD’s glory in the heavens, and the gift of Sabbath rest would be adequate proof for the people to believe God and be obedient? Had they learned whining, complaining and rebellious behavior was prima facie evidence they doubted the LORD’s power and wisdom?
6. I, the LORD, will respond to their prayers - I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them
As the cloud and fire moved the people traveled and the LORD provided for every need. Then, suddenly, the cloud and fire hovered over Rephidim where there was no water! They pitched their tents, but couldn’t figure out why the LORD’s leading stopped at this arid site. The people fought, argued, and demanded that Moses give them water to drink! “Why are you blaming me?” Moses retorted. “Why do you question the LORD?” It was God, not Moses, who caused the canopy of the LORD’s glorious presence to linger over Rephidim. It would seem the people had no concept that God heard every complaint, each criticism, and all whines – He even knew their innermost attitudes. The sum of their murmurings was ultimately against God. But the people were very thirsty. They accused Moses of inadequate leadership and evil ulterior motives. “Why in the world did you bring us up out of Egypt – to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” It was beyond their comprehension that it was the LORD’s intent to sustain them through the great, fearful desert full of venomous serpents and scorpions, and then take them to an arid place with no water.
Moses desperately cried out to the LORD, “What will I do with this people? A little more and they will stone me!” “Get out in front the people,” the LORD instructed, “take some of the elders of Israel with you. Hold your staff with which you struck the Nile in your hand. Go. I will be standing in front of you there on the rock in Horeb. You are to strike the rock, and water will flow out of the rock so that the people may drink.” In plain view of the elders, Moses struck the rock with the staff of God and water gushed forth. Moses named this location Massah (temptation) and Meribah (strife or contention), because the people fought, quarreled, and questioned the LORD’s leading, intent, and wisdom, asking is the LORD among us?
Isaiah captures the essence of the LORD’s purpose for His children at Rephidim:
“The oppressed and the poor look for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched from thirst.
I, the LORD, will respond to their prayers; I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
I will make streams flow down the slopes and produce springs in the middle of the valleys.
I will turn the desert into a pool of water and the arid land into springs...
I will do this so people will observe and recognize, so they will pay attention and understand that:
The LORD’s power has accomplished this, and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.”
7. The battle is the LORD’s - He will deliver you into our hand.
The cloud and fire didn’t move. The people stayed at the Rephidim encampment. The LORD had something more to teach at the hand of a bitter, ruthless and cruel nation who was unafraid of God.
A fierce desert dwelling people known as Amalek, described as the first of the nations, had for millennia jealously protected what they considered to be their personal territory. When they perceived Moses and the Children of Israel as encroaching, Amalek began unprovoked attacks. They adopted guerrilla tactics and harassed exhausted stragglers on the outskirts, then followed up with a frontal assault. Amalek was armed, experienced, and ready for warfare. Israel was unprepared for battle. Moses and the former slaves had walking sticks but no weapons or military training.
Moses turned to his trusted aide. “Joshua. Choose some of our men and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” Joshua and his army went to war. Moses, his brother Aaron, and Hur a reliable elder, ascended to a nearby hill where Moses, holding the staff of God, raised his hands to the LORD. As long as Moses’ hands were raised, Israel prevailed. But when he rested, Amalek triumphed. Aaron and Hur came to the rescue. They sat Moses on a rock and with each standing beside him steadied hands until sunset. The Children of Israel were victorious. The LORD made a promise: “I will surely wipe out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar he named “The LORD is my Banner,” because “A hand was lifted up to the throne of the LORD – that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
After the LORD’s demonstration of might, power, judgment, miraculous intervention, and provision, why did he allow Amalek, a nation who had no fear of God, to attack? Amalek’s confidence was based on observing the peoples’ attitudes – their piercing whining and complaining punctuated by rebellion, doubting the LORD’s presence and questioning His wisdom. When facing what was perceived to be an insurmountable dilemma, they chose to ask - is the LORD among us?
The LORD was establishing a new nation, the Land of Promise, to exemplify divine blessing, through which all the families of the earth will be blessed. The LORD gave the privilege and responsibility for this new nation to a group of former slaves, unequipped for independent thinking, leadership, or governance, who knew God only by reputation through their cultural heritage. Each experience - slavery, thirst, hunger, desolation, and an unprovoked hostile assault, was God’s invitation to each person to again humbly ask Him for help - the place where unshakable confidence in God begins. God was giving the Hebrews on-the-job training so they would believe and personally possess lasting fear of the LORD, and trust Him explicitly.
Warfare with “Amalek”, the enemy of both God and humanity, continues through each generation. The enemy, who is always ready to launch an assault, is emboldened by behavior questioning the LORD’s presence and provision. In every generation, “Amalek” is defeated by unshakable confidence in God. The unchangeable word has been spoken: the one who has no fear of God will perish.
Victory always begins with releasing one’s pride - so that he might by humbling you test you and eventually bring good to you. Committing to Him all one’s anxieties, each need, and every affliction or destruction in one’s life experience begins healing and restoration. Then unleash the coup d'état. God ordained praise on account of His adversaries, so that He might put an end to the vindictive enemy.
The enemy is always defeated when one proclaims praise and thanksgiving – He is LORD! He rules! He reins! He is in charge! Nothing is too difficult for the Invincible Warrior who embodies victory! “What is impossible for mere human beings is possible for God. All things are possible for God!”
Follow Moses’ example and lift your hands to the throne of God - stand still and consider the wonders God works - that wondrous activity of Him who is perfect in knowledge. He is great in power, but justice and abundant righteousness he does not oppress.
To my Creator I will ascribe righteousness. Indeed, God is mighty.
God is exalted in His power - who is a teacher like Him?
Who has prescribed His ways for Him? Or said to Him, ‘You have done what is wicked’?
Remember to extol His work, which people have praised in song.
The theme of each of the 7 episodes is God’s Omnibenevolence – His perfect all encompassing love. Elihu described how God’s love is displayed through His methods.
 God is great – beyond our knowledge!
 He is mighty and firm in His intent. He does not despise people.
 He does not allow the wicked to live; He gives justice to the poor.
 He repays a person for his work, and according to the conduct of a person, he causes the consequences to find him. The Almighty does not pervert justice.
 He does not take his eyes off the righteous. If they are bound in chains, and held captive by the cords of affliction, He reveals to them what they have done - their transgressions – how they were behaving proudly. He reveals this for correction and says that they must turn from evil. If they obey and serve Him, they live out their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness.
 He delivers the afflicted by their afflictions. He reveals Himself to them by their suffering.
 He drew you from the mouth of distress, to a wide place, unrestricted, to the comfort of your table filled with rich food.
David sang about God’s love. “The one true God acts in a faithful manner; the LORD’s promise is reliable; he is a shield to all who take shelter in him… The law of the LORD is perfect and preserves one’s life. The rules set down by the LORD are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.”
Each incident presents a circumstance in which God erected a stop sign. When God holds up His hand and says halt it is an invitation to humbly seek Him - He wants to bless and manifest His glory, intervention and love. The beginning of every miracle is a problem.
Based on a person’s source of confidence, one chooses to be like Moses and seek God, or be unwilling to obey Him, push him aside, and turn back to Egypt – enslavement - in one’s heart. Because one man had unshakable confidence in God and interceded on behalf of all the people, God’s glory was revealed, but only Moses experienced the hope, joy, confidence, and release which results from an intimate relationship the Creator of the Universe.
 
A Sabbath Rest for God’s People - Part 2
Be careful to observe the Sabbath day just as the LORD your God has commanded you.
You are to work and do all your tasks in six days,
But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. On that day you must not do any work.
Israel’s Sabbath observance began with a miracle - heavenly bread, and was shortly thereafter codified as the 4th of the Ten Commandments. Through the 5th century BC, The LORD continued to addresses issues regarding Sabbath, the “day” God blessed, set-apart and made holy, which was to be distinguished from all others, for rest and cessation from work.
Sabbath observance included the 7th day of the week and specific days during feasts, festivals and the Day of Atonement between the 1st month and 7th month of each year. Sabbath may also have been observed as part of the new moon feasts each month when, in the absence of a universal calendar, the passage of time and each “new moon” was recorded, first in the tabernacle, then in the temple.
Israel’s unique Sabbath observance set them apart from surrounding nations and cultures. Israel had the LORD’s promise: “No one will covet your land when you go up to appear before the LORD your God.” Moses warned “do not feel self-important and forget the LORD your God - be careful not to say, ‘My own ability and skill have gotten me this wealth.’ Remember the LORD your God is the one who gives ability to get wealth.” The prophet Amos recorded the people’s depravity, greed, and cynical resentment of Sabbath’s interference with commerce. “When will the new moon festival be over, so we can sell grain? When will the Sabbath end, so we can open up the grain bins? We’re eager to sell less for a higher price, and to cheat the buyer with rigged scales! We’re eager to trade silver for the poor, a pair of sandals for the needy! We want to mix in some chaff with the grain!”
During the centuries Israel ritually observed Sabbath did they ever realize, it is God, not humanity, who perfectly defines His Sabbath – His appointed time? Sabbath, when God causes everyone to stop working so they will know Him and experience His work, portrays God’s release, rescue, and redemption and is a representative microcosm of one’s relationship with the Creator of the Universe.
Release - Sabbath is Cessation of Effort, Rest, and Refreshment
God reviewed His creation and saw that it was perfect. Everything required to meet humanity’s every physical, emotional, and spiritual need was complete - nothing needed to be added. Sabbath is a reminder of God’s truth that He is the source of every good and perfect gift.
Prepare for Sabbath through obedience to His word and experience God’s complete rest by trusting in His renewal through His presence and beneficial abundance. Humbly discontinuing all the work that one has been doing, all one’s totally inadequate striving to please God, and rely on His complete sufficiency.
Sabbath is release from bondage when one surrender of all problems, each concern, and every agonizing nagging torment to the God. Blessing, protection, gracious divine favor, and peace come only through Him. Do not to even mention the names of idols or other gods. Anything of self-help human origin which conveys the message I’m smarter than God, or God isn’t needed, on which a person relies for satisfaction, fulfillment, sustenance or guidance is an idol. The LORD said do not let their names be heard on your lips. Sabbath observance is obedience to and pleasing the LORD rather than one’s self.
Rescue - Sabbath is Blessed by God and Made Holy
Sabbath represents God’s pleasure in His Creation. God’s blessing is His adoring presence and abundant benefits for each person. God spoke purity and wholeness into Sabbath. It is God, without human assistance, who sets a person apart for His glory, esteems, cleanses, and purifies. Sabbath represents God’s eternal Covenant of promise “I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”
God wants each individual to humbly honor God’s gift of adoration and benefit of His intervention of excellence. His blessings are acknowledged by speaking favorably about Him through praise, thanks, and worship. Only through His holy total purification process is one cleansed and made whole. Repent - accept God’s forgiveness and He begins the renewal process in one’s life.
Sabbath is a time of inclusion - each family member, all servants and slaves – in fact everyone in God’s nation who becomes a follower of the LORD, who loves His name, serves Him, and wants to be His servant is invited to “observe the Sabbath.” He invites all “who are faithful to His covenant so He can bring them to His holy mountain; and make them happy in the temple where people pray to Him.
“Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar,” the LORD declared, “for my temple will be known as a temple where all nations may pray.”
Sabbath is a time of personal responsibility - to tear away, break and remove every burdensome yoke, remove sinful chains, set the oppressed free, and stop pointing fingers, and sinful speaking. What whining self-pitying burdensome yokes have been placed on another person? Whether one feels anger, offence, jealousy or disappointment, all unforgiveness, bitterness, judgment, complaints, faultfinding, criticism, and gossip are to be torn away, broken and removed - replaced by God’s mercy and love.
Sabbath is a time to help the distressed. “I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed.”
Sabbath is a time to focus on God. “You must observe the Sabbath rather than doing anything you please on my holy day. Look forward to the Sabbath and treat the LORD’s holy day with respect… by refraining from your normal activities… and selfish pursuits and from making business deals.”
Sabbath is a time to be blessed. “Then your light will shine like the sunrise; your restoration will quickly arrive; your godly behavior will go before you, and the LORD’s splendor will be your rear guard. Then you will call out, and the LORD will respond; you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’ Then your light will dispel the darkness, and your darkness will be transformed into noonday. The LORD will continually lead you; he will feed you even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water… Then you will find joy in your relationship to the LORD, and I will give you great prosperity, and cause crops to grow on the land I gave to your ancestor Jacob.” Know for certain that the LORD has spoken.
Redemption - Sabbath is a Time for Each Person to Know God’s Work
God extends the opportunity for atonement - covering and cancellation of sin which separates each person from God, exchanges death and destruction for adoption as God’s own child, and entrance into His Land of Promise. Sabbath is a time to be in close fellowship with God
Sabbath is a time to repentant, accept and embrace His gift of atonement. The LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness. He forgives iniquity (perversion) and transgression (law breaking) and sin (that which separates humanity and God). He zealously acts to reconcile the penitent heart.
Sabbath is a time to know God’s works. Moses gave two examples:
(a) Sabbath “is a sign between me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy”;
(b) “Recall that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there by strength and power. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.”
Whether pondering the wonders of the LORD God of the Universe or contemplating His marvelous blessings and personal benefits, a trusting intimate love connection develops. Through His word, Spirit and voice, He speaks hope, peace, instruction and direction into one’s life. One learns obedience and to trust God to be the source to meet every need, and experience joy in every facet of one’s life.
In your distress you called out and I rescued you... I answered you… I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
I said, “Listen, My people! I will warn you! O Israel, if only you would obey Me!
I am the LORD, your God, The one who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it!””
But My people did not obey… I gave them over to their stubborn desires; they did what seemed right to them.
Was the LORD’s love - His guidance, provision and authority experienced during this incredible period indelibly imprinted on the peoples’ understanding? Did they ever believe – have unshakable confidence in God or change their behavior? Forty years later the dead bodies of those who experienced the Red Sea crossing and subsequent miracles, but remained rebellious and disobedient, were strewn across the wilderness - they never even glimpsed the Land of Promise. They turned back to Egypt – bondage, slavery and idolatry - in their hearts. Their children and grandchildren were at the shore of the Jordan River, ready to enter the Land of Promise when, for the last time Moses spoke to them, warning them not to behave like their ancestors: “You must not put the LORD your God to the test as you did at Massah. Keep his commandments very carefully… Do whatever is proper and good before the LORD so that it may go well with you and that you may enter and occupy the good land that he promised your ancestors, and that you may drive out all your enemies just as the LORD said.”
“You continued to provoke the LORD at… Massah,” Moses added. “And when he… told you, “Go up and possess the land I have given you,” you rebelled against the LORD your God and would neither believe nor obey him. You have been rebelling against him...”
Again the LORD speaks: “Today, if only you would obey him! Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah like they were that day at Massah… Your ancestors challenged my authority, and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work. For forty years I was continually disgusted with that generation, and I said, ‘These people desire to go astray; they do not obey my commands.’ So I made a vow in my anger, ‘They will never enter into the resting place I had set aside for them.’”
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Who Commands Armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!
Five or more centuries later, (740 BC) a young man experienced an awesome, life transforming vision. Isaiah saw the Sovereign Master seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of His robe filled the temple. Seraphs standing over Him called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Who Commands Armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” The sound of their voices shook the door frames. The temple was filled with sweet fragrance from the Golden Altar of Incense.
When confronted by absolute purity, holiness, and majesty, Isaiah was overwhelmed by his own inadequacy. “Too bad for me! I am destroyed - my lips are contaminated by sin! I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen the King…” He couldn’t worship the King.
Isaiah had adopted as his own the corrupting cultural mores of a nation who neither knew nor believed in God or placed any faith in His wondrous activity on their behalf. Rebellion against authority, criticizing and complaining, relying on their own resources and wisdom, idol worship, magic incantations and omen reading, along with keeping the letter but not the spirit of God’s law was the sinful contamination afflicting the lips of the entire nation. They openly bragged about their sin and refused to knowledge God’s sovereign rule - their speech and behavior were offensive to the LORD.
Isaiah described how the LORD admonished him to change his perspective. “He took hold of me firmly and warned me not to act like these people: ‘Do not say, “Conspiracy,” every time these people say the word. Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified.’”
“You must recognize the authority of the LORD Who Commands Armies. He is the one you must respect. He is the one you must fear. He will become a sanctuary.”
One of the seraphs carried tongs holding a hot coal from the Altar and flew toward Isaiah. As he touched Isaiah’s mouth he said, “This coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.”
The Sovereign Master then asked, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?”
Isaiah answered, “Here I am, send me!”
The Sovereign Master commissioned Isaiah as His spokesman - “Go and tell these people.”
Isaiah served as the LORD’s spokesman for at least 60 years. Often, Isaiah’s prophesies of the future were prompted by current events, but were fulfilled centuries later.
The first message from the Sovereign Master relates to people of all ages who ignore the LORD’s word and behave as if there is no Sovereign Master to whom they are accountable:
“Listen continually, but don’t understand! Look continually, but don’t perceive!’
Make the hearts of these people calloused; make their ears deaf and their eyes blind!
Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their hearts might understand
and they might repent and be healed.”
Subsequently, Isaiah received a message from the Sovereign Master, the LORD Who Commands Armies: “My people - do not be afraid!”
Isaiah described a liberator and deliverer on whom “the LORD’s Spirit will rest –
A Spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom; a Spirit that provides the ability to execute plans.
A Spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the LORD; He will take delight in obeying the LORD.”
I know what I have planned for you… plans to prosper you… plans to give you a future filled with hope
Fast forward to the beginning of 6th century, after Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar made his second invasion of Land of Promise (597 BC) and carried captives away to Babylonian exile. The prophet Jeremiah recorded the LORD’s promise: I, the LORD, affirm - I will reverse the plight of my people - I will bring them back - I will restore you to health. I will heal your wounds - and I will be your God.”
“I will make a new covenant - not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt. They violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them. I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people. People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. All of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me. For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”
Two or three decades later Ezekiel, one of Judean captives living in Babylonian exile, received a promise. “I will give you a new heart,” the LORD declared, “and I will put a new Spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you; I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes and carefully observe my regulations.”
True to the LORD’s promise, the exiles were released to return home (538 BC) and about 5% of the exiled Judean citizens returned. But they were never again a sovereign nation free from foreign rule.
After the Persian Empire defeated Babylon, Persia lost their captured territory to Greece. By the 1st century AD, the Roman Empire ruled vast regions within the European, Asian and African continents, including Judah, the Land of Promise.
 
A Sabbath Rest for God’s People - Part 3
Secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those that are revealed Belong to us and our descendants forever so that we might obey all the words of this law
The purpose for which Christ Jesus came to earth was a secret of the kingdom of heaven, God’s wisdom hidden in a mystery - hidden from the foundation of the world.
Jesus appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice.
The problem began with Adam, the first man when he indulged in fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Sin separating humanity from God is so serious, that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. All animal sacrifices and offerings made since Adam covered but could never remove sin.
In order to fulfill the LORD’s promise to Jeremiah of a new Covenant for His laws to be inscribed on their hearts and their minds and for their sins and their lawless deeds to no longer be remembered, a perfect sinless sacrifice granting the forgiveness which forever eradicates sin and its concomitant death penalty was required. In the entire universe only Jesus, the son of God, met the criteria. His response to the need was “Here I am: I have come to do your will, O God.” Even though He was always God, Jesus did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped. He emptied Himself of divinity and took on the form of a slave. He looked like other men, and shared in human nature. He brought light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Him should not remain in darkness. While we were all still sinners, Christ died for us, to save the world from condemnation so each person can be made holy.
The LORD revealed His plan of salvation to Isaiah centuries before Jesus was born. Isaiah lived with emotionally shaken people, surrounded by threatened hostilities and rumors of war. Isaiah counseled:
“Make sure you stay calm! Don’t be afraid! Don’t be intimidated… The Sovereign Master Himself will give you a confirming sign. This young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son.
You, young woman, will name Him Immanuel.”
The people’s solution to the nation’s problems was to seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits from magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. They thought people should seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living. Isaiah surveyed the spiritually darkened nation and saw only destitution and starvation, distress and darkness, gloom and anxiety, and people evicted from the land. Then he received the promise:
The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious. The people walking in darkness see a bright light; Light shines on those who live in a land of deep darkness. You have enlarged the nation; You give them great joy. They rejoice in Your presence… For their oppressive yoke and the club that strikes their shoulders, the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, You have shattered…
Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth and every garment dragged through blood
is used as fuel for the fire.
For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called: Extraordinary Strategist, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His dominion will be vast and He will bring immeasurable prosperity. He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom,Establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore.
The LORD’s intense devotion to His people will accomplish this.
This was liberator and deliverer on whom the LORD’s Spirit would rest. At least 40 years later foretold exactly how it would happen because Isaiah saw Christ’s glory.
Who would have believed what we just heard? When was the LORD’s power revealed through Him?
He sprouted up like a twig before God, like a root out of parched soil;He had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, No special appearance that we should want to follow him.
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth of Galilee where he appeared to a virgin named Mary, Joseph’s finance. “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!” Mary had never before seen an angel and the Lord had not spoken directly to Israel for about 400 years. Why would an angel appear to her – just a young girl? She didn’t understand his greeting. “Do not be afraid, Mary,” the angel assured her, “for you have found favor with God! Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” Mary was overwhelmed. “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” The angel explained, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God. Nothing will be impossible with God.” So Mary responded, “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.”
The angel left and Mary discovered she was pregnant. Because her finance Joseph was a righteous man and he did not want to disgrace her and intended to divorce her privately. As he thought about the dilemma, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the Child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” This event took place to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken through Isaiah: “The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep he obeyed the message from the Lord’s angel and took Mary as his wife, but did not have marital relations with her until she gave birth.
When Caesar Augustus decreed everyone in the empire was to be registered so they could pay taxes, Joseph and Mary went from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea, the city of their ancestor David, to be registered. After they arrived in Bethlehem, the time came for her delivery and she gave birth to her firstborn son whom they named Jesus. Mary wrapped Him in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
The child Jesus grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon Him. Jesus was 12 when His parents took Him to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. When the feast was over, Joseph and Mary, along with their friends and relatives from Nazareth started home, but Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. They realized Jesus was missing when they camped for the night and He wasn’t among their group. They returned to Jerusalem and searched three days before Him was found in the temple courts, sitting with the teachers, listening and asking questions. All who heard Jesus were astonished at His understanding and answers. His astounded mother asked, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” Jesus was puzzled. “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
So the family returned to Nazareth, and He was obedient to them. But Mary pondered all these things in her heart while Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people.
I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites.
I will put My words in His mouth and He will speak to them whatever I command.
I will personally hold responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet speaks in My name.
About 18 years later, early in the 1st century AD a young teacher entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. He stood, was handed a scroll, and found in Isaiah’s writings where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” He then he rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue sat in rapt attention as He said to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” In His first public sermon in Nazareth, Jesus, the Prophet of whom Moses spoke, began to reveal the purpose for which He came to earth.
Jesus was anointed by the Spirit of the Lord – the same Spirit cited by Isaiah and Ezekiel, to proclaim Good News to the poor. Those who have been forgotten and mistreated, enslaved or held captive, even crushed, bruised and alienated can be released – set free! The word translated as both released and set free is the Greek word aphesis. As applied during the 1st century, aphesis meant freedom, pardon - an expunged record as though it had never happened – to be remembered no more. Such release and forgiveness of sin (that which separates God and humanity) is both an act only God can perform and a gift of grace which only the Creator can impart. The blind, including those born sightless, would regain sight. During Jubilee - the year of the Lord’s favor, which was to be observed every 50 years on the Day of Atonement, debts were cancelled, mortgaged and repossessed property was returned, and slaves were set free. For perhaps centuries, these Mosaic Law Jubilee provisions had not been celebrated.
Jesus invited people to partner with Him: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened. I will give you rest. Take My yoke on you and learn from Me. I am gentle and humble in heart. You will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy to bear - My load is not hard to carry.”
We speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery that God determined before the ages for our glory
Israel considered Sabbath and Mosaic Law to be gracious gifts from God.
More gracious gifts – grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. Throughout Judah and Galilee and the region of the Decapolis in northeast Palestine, Jesus taught grace and truth in parables, fulfilling the prophesy: “I will open my mouth in parables. I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” His disciples wanted know why He chose that mode of teaching. “You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets (mysteries) of the kingdom of heaven,” He explained “but they have not.” Kingdom principles were hidden because of sin - unbelief, disobedience, and pride. “Although they see they do not see and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. Concerning them Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled that says: ‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand; you will look closely yet will never comprehend. For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
But your eyes are blessed (satisfied and happy unrelated to favorable circumstances) because they see, and your ears because they hear.”
Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!
“The law and the prophets were in force until John,” Jesus explained the Pharisees. “Since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it.”
John the Baptist was the first to talk about the God’s kingdom when he proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Jesus reiterated the message, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!” Jesus said the poor (economically disadvantaged), the poor in spirit (humble), and those persecuted for righteousness (thinking and behaving with integrity, virtue, and purity), are blessed because the kingdom of heaven is available to them.
Jesus taught that God’s kingdom is within a person, approached through understanding His word, and entered through acceptance like a child, spiritual rebirth, and doing His will. Paul wrote that the kingdom of God is righteousness (right standing with God), peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, and is demonstrated with power. Further, kingdom citizens are cleansed (purified), sanctified (set-apart) and justified (just as if one had never sinned) through the name of the Lord Jesus and by Spirit of God.
Jesus said His kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. God’s kingdom is rescue from the kingdom of darkness, forgiveness (aphesis) of sin, and truth. God’s kingdom is eternal, unshakable, and victorious over any other power in the universe. Jesus instructed His disciples to pray to the Father “May your name be honored, may your kingdom come, may your will be done…” God’s kingdom is His sovereign rule and reign is one’s life through belief and obedience to His word. When the pursuit of God’s kingdom, the greatest treasure of life, is one’s first priority, there is no need to worry about anything - He will provide. A study of the journey of the Children of Israel from Egypt to Rephidim reveals that His promise to meet every need is neither a metaphor nor hyperbole. It is literal!
Early in his ministry, Jesus assured the people “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.” Rather, Jesus came to fulfill them. “Until heaven and earth pass away” Jesus averred “not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place. So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
What law is Jesus talking about? Some Pharisees and experts in the law traveled from Jerusalem to where Jesus was teaching near the Sea of Galilee to accuse Him. “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands when they eat.”
“And why” Jesus responded, “do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?” Jesus cited Isaiah’s prophesy, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” The experts in religious law and the Pharisees fixated on minutiae and tradition while neglecting what was more important – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! Conversations with two experts in religious law reveal the law to which Jesus alluded.
“Which commandment is the most important of all?” an expert asked.
“The most important,” Jesus responded, “is ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The expert agreed. “That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is no one else besides him. And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
“You are not,” Jesus assured him, “far from the kingdom of God,”
Another expert asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the law? Jesus replied. “How do you understand it?”
“Love the Lord your God” the expert asserted, “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus assured, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
According to Jesus, obeying the law of loving God and loving one’s neighbor is a prerequisite for entering God’s kingdom, but what about the key which opens the door?
“What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?” Someone in the crowd asked the question with which humanity has grappled since the beginning of time. In light of extreme actions people take to please or get God’s attention, the answer Jesus gives is startling simple. “The deed God requires – is to believe in the one whom He sent.” God demonstrated His love to the entire world by sending His one and only Son so that anyone – that’s you and me - who believes in Christ Jesus becomes God’s child. Not a child born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but as a matter of God’s pleasure. From the instant a person becomes a Believer, one is a child of God, saved from condemnation and death and enters abundant temporal eternal life in God’s kingdom.
From creation until Christ Jesus came, God revealed Himself through magnificent titles and names. Now each Believer has a special intimate relationship with the Creator of the Universe – He is one’s loving approachable Father –a Daddy who cares and understands.
Jesus proclaimed release from the burden of sin, works, traditions, or self-help activities so we can experience abundant kingdom life and rest in Him. A new record in heaven states: forgiven – pardoned, released from sin’s punishment and its concomitant death penalty. In God’s sight one is holy, pure, and covered with His love. God’s kingdom is the resting place He set aside for anyone captured and oppressed, blinded to truth, or unable to discern His voice. God is pleased to give His kingdom release from any anxiety or destructive impact in one’s life. Each person is invited to enter His kingdom rest. “Come! Witness the exploits of the LORD…” The LORD says, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God! I will be exalted…”
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, And whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.
Keys are essential controlling elements which open and close, secure and control, explain and solve, or may denote power and authority. Keys are useful only when activated and correctly applied. Because the keys to God’s kingdom affect every aspect of life, our Loving Father, who values the lives of His faithful followers, clearly delineated how His keys successfully impart abundant temporal and eternal life to Believers. An incident recorded in the Acts of the Apostles provides an example of how binding and releasing applied in the spiritual realm transformed the material world.
Fourteen or so years after Jesus returned to heaven, Herod Agrippa I, King of Judea arrested James the brother of John and Peter. On the night before his trial Peter was fast asleep – an abnormal response for a person lying on a cold stone prison floor chained between two soldiers. James had already been beheaded - promoted to Heaven. Peter had no reason to believe he would receive a different sentence. Peter was at peace and slept peacefully because he released – surrendered – his circumstances and attitudes to God. Neither physical bondage nor potential execution were essential controlling elements over his spirit, attitude, or behavior. Peter’s earthly surrender was the key to the miracle heaven released.
Suddenly the prison cell was filled with light. A stranger awakened Peter, urging him to quickly get up and dress. Peter thought he was dreaming, but as he arose the enslaving chains fell from his wrists. The stranger led Peter down the corridor, unnoticed by guards posted outside the cell and ignored by guard station personnel. Iron gates at the end of the corridor swung open and they were free. After they entered the city, the stranger disappeared and Peter’s clarity returned. He knew for certain the Lord had sent His angel and rescued him from the Herod’s power. God bound Herod’s authority and control.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble
After Peter was taught by Jesus and, when imprisoned, exhibited kingdom release he spoke with authority when explaining how to experience kingdom abundance. The key which opens the door to God’s power and authority begins by acknowledging the basis of our faith - that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Then we clothe ourselves with humility - acknowledge that God is in charge and His solutions are perfect. Humility is demonstrated by approaching God through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, and releasing - literally throwing each concern, every care, and all worry on God, trusting Him to open and close, secure and control, explain and solve. The Father’s response is to a humble spirit is His gift of charis – gracious divine favor and influence on our spirit which radiates into our attitudes and behavior producing joy, thankfulness, and peace. At the appropriate time His power and authority exalts – literally elevates us above every care we release to Him by restoring, confirming, strengthening and granting stability. He does this because of His profound care for each of us.
Refusing to release – neglecting to communicate our cares to God or wanting to do it our way -proudly depending on our own resources, power, wisdom, and understanding places us in direct conflict with God’s will. We have bound - interfered with - heavenly release. Evidence that pride is one’s essential controlling element is worry, complaining, rebellion, disobedience and addictive self-pity.
All things are possible for God
Christ Jesus holds the key to God’s kingdom. He who opens doors no one can shut, and shuts doors no one can open said “Whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.” Bless Him - say good things about Him. Release the longings of your heart and expect His loving response and blessings. Blessing always follows praise and thanks to God. Earthly surrender is the key to miraculous heavenly release. I am the LORD, the God of all humankind. There is, indeed, nothing too difficult for me!
The LORD heals the brokenhearted, and bandages their wounds… The LORD takes delight in His people; He exalts the oppressed by delivering them.
How can God be exalted in the midst of tragedy and loss? James, the half-brother of Jesus wrote to Believers who fled Jerusalem leaving behind, relatives, homes, businesses and belongings - some even imprisoned. Every source of security was abandoned because of their faith. “Consider it nothing but joy” James declared “when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.” James then used the Greek word makarios - happiness and blessing superior to all others to describe the person “who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him.” The writers of Hebrews recalled when Believers endured harsh conflict of suffering and were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions. “You accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy,” the writer avers, “because you knew that you certainly had a better and lasting possession.”
Paul assures “No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.” The release of God’s kingdom abundance has been spelled out. “Do not be anxious about anything. In every situation tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. When one surrenders – releases - every situation to God the focus shifts from the problem to Christ Jesus, the solution creator. He determines the appointed time and appropriate response to each prayer. One’s self-help idol that God isn’t needed – is bound.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;See if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
Jesus came to release the oppressed from sin’s ancillary mental and emotional defilements - insidious internal servitude, anguish, and turmoil which destroys one’s soul. Jesus offers a divine transplant - a new heart and spirit, cleansed from residual impurity caused by emotional, verbal, or physical abuse, offense, assault, or victimization. To receive this gift one humbly seeks God’s forgiveness and chooses to forgive. Biblical terms like stiff neck, hard or stony heart refers to stubbornness and pride, pernicious sin which separates humanity from God. It is impossible to seek, grant, or receive forgiveness in the absence of humbling one’s self. Such bondage may be so cleverly masked and profoundly hidden one is not be aware of its presence. But God knows - no creature - including bitterness and unforgiveness - is hidden from God.
Unforgiveness enslaves and stunts one’s spiritual and emotional growth, causes physical harm, and creates havoc in relationships. Forgiveness and mercy is strength, power, release, and liberation. Why does any rational person tightly cling to destructive unforgiveness? Could it be pride?
No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed; you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you.
This is what the LORD will do for his servants “I will vindicate them,” says the LORD.
“Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult,” Peter implored, “but instead bless (speak well of) others because you were called to inherit a blessing (God’s grace and favor).” Jesus, the Righteous Judge, levies justice and punishment and determines equitable pain and suffering compensation payable to the sufferer. He refuses to listen to curses spoken against one of His children and changes curses to blessings. God will exalt – lift one above an offense or circumstance – when one is humbled under His power. Forgiving others is not an option for anyone who has received God’s forgiveness.
The one who loves his fellow Christian resides in the light, And there is no cause for stumbling in him.
“Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but on man's.” The Apostles must have been stunned by Jesus’ response. Peter was just trying to be helpful. But in truth the enemy of both God and humanity was up to his old tricks, implanting his pride and lies in someone’s mind. Peter parroted Satan’s words, perceiving them as his own wisdom and rebuked Jesus! Jesus identified the source and told Peter he was an offense.
Job’s wife did the same thing. Satan denied that Job was a pure and upright man who feared God, turned from evil, and held firmly to his integrity. He alleged that if Job was struck in his bone and flesh he would curse God to His face. Job was astounded when his wife took Satan’s accusation and turned it into a suggestion. “You’re talking like one of the godless women!”
Jesus used the metaphor skandalon or stumbling blocks to describe offenses - hindrances and traps set by the enemy. Beware of Satan’s tactics. Day and night he stands before God, making accusations against each Believer. We can be entrapped and be an offense, functioning as Satan’s press agent, spewing out his lies, talking like godless people, focusing on personal interests and neglecting God. Jesus is so profoundly grieved by such offense, it would be better for me to have a millstone tied around my neck and be thrown into the sea than to cause one of His little ones offense. Repent and apologize. Ask the LORD to guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deception. Listen for His voice. With David, pray “May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight, O LORD.”
“Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at Me.”
Jesus was an offense to those who set their minds on their own interests – not God. He didn’t meet their expectations. Jesus offered freedom from sin – they wanted political liberation from Roman rule. Jesus offered abundant temporal and eternal life – they were content with traditional religion. Jesus was God’s own emissary to the world – they wanted to confine God to parameters of their own making so He would be exactly like them. They chose to find His message offensive, missed out on His blessings, never received God’s grace and truth, or entered the Kingdom of God. Conversely, one who believes in Him is supremely blessed.
“Stumbling blocks are sure to come!”
Daily, we confront potential offenses which create emotional wounds and erect obstacles. An offense becomes offensive only if a potential offendee chooses to be offended. What one person finds offensive is to someone else innocuous observations. We can be offended by wise counsel that injures pride or reveals truth we want to hide. We also encounter unprovoked personal insults and attacks – someone regurgitating Satan’s lies.
Whether inadvertent, instructional, or intentional, we each have the choice to refuse to take the bait, learn from, or embrace offense. We can give a gentle response which turns away anger or follow instinctive behavior patterns and respond with harsh words which stir up wrath.
Be on alert. Our enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl alleging we are unappreciated and treated unfairly, filling our minds with self-pity. He wants us to be offense and resentment collectors. Pride then masquerades as principle and justifies retaliation. Offense mutates into a manipulative tool to gain attention and control. Someone else is piously labeled as “the guilty party.”
We can refuse to be offended, deny an offender the power to wound, and break the retaliation cycle. Pursue peace with everyone. Keep your love for one another fervent - love covers a multitude of sins. One who chooses love and forgiveness is filled with joy and peace and preserves relationship. A person who harbors and nurtures offense suffers corrosive destruction from bitterness.
Don’t be shocked or defeated when you experience tormenting roaring lion lies. Recognize the source and quote authority, “In the name of Jesus - get behind me, Satan!” Fill your thoughts, speech and behavior with the Lord’s joy. Satan is always vanquished through the praise and thanks to God counter offensive.
Paul wrote about forgiveness using the Greek word charizomai. Note his words as they would have been understood by the recipients: “Clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and granting gracious restoration to one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has granted gracious restoration to you, so you also grant gracious restoration to others. God’s forgiveness is ultimate joy! Forgiveness is one’s response to His gracious gift of restoration.
I jumped to conclusions and said, “I am cut off from your presence!” But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help. Love the LORD, all you faithful followers of his! The LORD protects those who have integrity… Be strong and confident, all you who wait on the LORD!
When one encounters periods of life which seem utterly desolate, like the arid Rephidim, questions may be asked. “Lord, why this is happening? Am I being punished?” His purpose has been illustrated. God thunders with His voice in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding… He causes a person to stop laboring - removes one’s power, so one knows - is intimately acquainted with His work. He brings us through great, fearful deserts of venomous serpents and scorpions, and arid places with no water so that by humbling He tests us and eventually bring good.
During life’s journey He wants us to learn unshakable confidence in Him so we will never be defeated by any circumstance. Paul declared: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” The LORD, who determines ones destiny, envisions for His children a future filled with hope. This principle was seen in the life of Moses. After Moses humbled himself, God exalted him and every life experience, whether as Prince of Egypt or a lowly lonely shepherd, was used for God’s glory to forever change world history.
God is our strong refuge; he is truly our helper in times of trouble.For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea…
Paul averred “In all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! He was convinced that neither death, life, angels, heavenly rulers, things present or things to come, powers, height, depth, nor anything else in creation is able to separate a person from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul implores each person to transform one’s thought life by focusing on what is true, worthy of respect, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent or praise worthy. When negative attitudes, emotions, or circumstances are confessed and surrendered to God for His divine intervention, a victim becomes a victor and the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect, is tested, known and experienced. It is God’s will that one “always rejoice, constantly pray, and in everything give thanks.” Hebrews reiterates this concept: “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name” because “God is pleased with such sacrifices.”
The Sovereign God, not humanity, determines what is pleasing. He instituted this sacrifice of praise and thanks in the Tabernacle’s Holy Place. Morning and evening a divinely formulated mixture of treasured spices were placed on the Golden Altar of Incense placed directly in front of the Ark of the Covenant and Mercy seat. Hot coals transformed the spices to a sweet fragrance (praise and thanks), saturating the Tabernacle. In Isaiah’s vision of the heavenly throne room his sin and evil were forgiven and removed when the seraph touched his lips with a hot coal from the Golden Altar. John the Revelator saw golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints), given to an angel holding a golden censer. When the angel added the prayers of the saints to the Golden Altar, its sweet fragrance saturated the heavenly throne room, concentrated in front of the throne, pleasing God. Then, the angel filled the golden censor with fire from the Golden Altar and threw it to earth which caused “crashes of thunder, roaring, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”
When, morning and evening, a person offers the sacrifice of praise and thanks, 24/7 one’s spirit continues to emit its sweet fragrance all the way to heaven, transforming one’s attitudes, relationships, and life and one receives strength through taking joy in the LORD.
But, what about the crashes of thunder, roaring, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake? Those metaphors represent the Invincible Warrior’s authority over the entire universe - His powerful response to prayer. Praise and thanks demonstrates one unshakable confidence in God and agreeing with Him that He rules – He reigns over all. Join David and pray “May you accept my prayer like incense…”
Come! Let’s sing for joy to the LORD! Let’s shout out praises to our protector who delivers us!
Let’s enter his presence with thanksgiving! Let’s shout out to him in celebration!
The sacrifice of praise expresses a further Kingdom principle. A “sacrifice” means something is forfeited or relinquished. One forfeits and relinquishes one’s “right” to judge one’s self or circumstance - the “right” to complain, find fault, or rebel against God or anyone in one’s sphere of influence.
The LORD confronted Job: “Would you annul my justice? Would you declare me guilty so that you might be right?” Is a person who complains or condemns those things not understood, declaring God wrong to justify one’s pride and stubbornly substituting one’s own will for God’s will - worshipping at the I’m smarter than God idol? When pride interferes with one’s thoughts, attitudes, speech, and behavior, it erects barriers to unrestrained fellowship and deafens one’s spirit to hearing the Father’s voice. Pride closes the door to answered prayer and turns a person’s back to God’s glory. Pride even tricks a person into believing one’s personal opinion is truth.
When a person’s focus is switched from one’s self to God, all His generous giving and His every perfect gift, one’s pride, imperfect wisdom and flawed understanding is exchanged for God’s impeccable faultless will (what a deal). Praise and thanks acknowledges that God knows what He is doing – nothing takes Him by surprise and He never says “oops.” He is exalted.
Also surrendered is the “right” to judge, condemn, or complain about another person. Disapproval, censure, gossip, et al, destructive by-products of the conjoined twins named Pride and Envy, is sin. Jesus expressed the universal truth, the standards one applies to others God applies back. Jesus didn’t judge by mere appearance, or make decisions on hearsay. One’s words and/or behavior create bondage or affect release. Bondage created by judgment, unfavorable opinion, and even hatred is transformed to release by prayerfully speaking praise, thanks and blessing on that person. A person’s benefits from that surrender are immeasurable. One’s lips are touched with the coals from the altar, one’s evil pride and jealousy is removed, one’s sin is forgiven and released from judgment. When concerns or worries about another person are surrendered both on earth and in heaven, God’s blessings are released to turn that person from iniquity. Nothing can hinder the acts of God to be revealed through His intervention.
This sacrifice is spoken - the fruit of our lips – agreeing with Him who is crowned with glory and honor that He is in charge! He rules and reigns – everything is under his control. A promise accompanies one’s unshakable confidence in the LORD: “He will make your paths straight,” and “bring healing to your body, and refreshment to your inner self.”
Each experience - slavery, thirst, hunger, desolation, and even unprovoked hostile assault is God’s invitation to stop working – reject the idol of self help that God isn’t needed, and call out to God. God’s reality - His activity on behalf of humanity, changes from an academic exercise to personal knowledge as one enters intimate relationship and experiences His victory and deliverance.
 A Sabbath Rest for God’s People - Part 4
I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, for that is what I was sent to do.
A significant aspect of Jesus’ ministry of proclaiming the good news of the kingdom was healing and refreshment – exchanging sickness for wholeness and casting out demons to effect deliverance, thus fulfilling Isaiah’s prophesy: “He took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.” Six miracles and one significant conversation regarding the purpose of Sabbath occurred on day of God’s time of rest and cessation from work, when God met each person at the place of need so His glory was revealed.
1. I know who you are – the Holy One of God
God’s kingdom was hidden from most of the religious leaders and many of the people, but demonic spirits recognized Jesus. Early in His ministry Jesus was in the middle of the Sabbath teaching at the Capernaum synagogue when a man with an unclean spirit shouted out “Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him: “Silence! Come out of him!” After throwing the man into convulsions, the unclean spirit screamed out and left.
Jesus then went to Peter’s home and found Peter’s mother-in-law incapacitated with a high fever. Jesus gently took her hand, raised her from the sick bed, and the fever left. She immediately demonstrated her appreciation and began to serve her guests.
Thereafter, anytime Jesus healed or delivered on the Sabbath He was hounded and harassed by Sabbath police, Pharisees and experts in religious law accusing Him of breaking the 4th Commandment.
2. The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath
Early one Sabbath morning Jesus and His disciples were in Nazareth. The Pharisees watched as they picked and ate heads of wheat from a field to assuage their hunger. “Why are you doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?” The action doesn’t appear to breach Mosaic Law, but could have been a tradition to which the Pharisees gave the same authority as the Law, or simply a judgment from someone determined to find fault.
“The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath,” Jesus responded. “If you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Jesus proceeded to the synagogue and encountered a man with a withered hand. “Is it lawful” He asked, “to heal on the Sabbath?” The experts in the law and the Pharisees lurked about trying to find any additional reason to accuse Him. “I ask you,” Jesus reiterated, “is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?” Jesus knew the thoughts of His adversaries and added “Would not any one of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath?” When the questions went unanswered, Jesus turned His attention to the man with the withered hand. “Stretch out your hand.” His hand was immediately restored. But the Pharisees were filled with mindless rage. They left and began to plot against Him. They were jealous!
3. Do You Want to Become Well?
Jesus went to a feast, probably the summer Festival of First Fruits, and performed His first recorded miracle in Jerusalem. Numerous sick, blind, lame and paralyzed people were lying on the walkways surrounding the Bethzatha pool within the Temple complex. Jesus focused on a man who had been disabled for 38 years, and asked “Do you want to become well?” After the man explained his helpless situation, Jesus said “Stand up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Immediately the man was healed, picked up his mat, and walked away – only to encounter Sabbath police.
“It is the Sabbath. You are not permitted to carry your mat.” Instead of rejoicing in the healing, the Sabbath police labeled the man as a law breaker.
“The man who made me well” he responded, “said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”
The Sabbath police had a new target. “Who said to you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’?” The man found Jesus, learned His identity learned, and informed the religious leaders.
They wasted no time in finding and accusing Jesus of breaking Mosaic Law. Jesus simply answered “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” Now they were furious. This Sabbath breaker was also calling God His own Father, thus making Himself equal with God.
“I tell you the solemn truth,” Jesus continued, “the one who hears my message and believes the One who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life.
4. Do not judge according to external appearance - judge with proper judgment.
Even though the Pharisees never won a round, the dispute didn’t end. In the fall, during the Feast of Tabernacles the religious leaders found Jesus teaching in the Temple courts and were astonished. “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?”
“My teaching is not from me, but from the One who sent me.” Jesus explained. “If anyone wants to do God’s will, he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. The person who speaks on his own authority desires to receive honor for himself. The one who desires the honor of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law!”
“I performed one miracle and you are all amazed. Moses gave you the practice of circumcision, you circumcise a male child on the Sabbath. But if a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge according to external appearance, but judge with proper judgment.”
5. For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight
Afterward Jesus and His disciples were in the Kidron Valley section of Jerusalem when they encountered a beggar, a man with a birth defect – born blind, perhaps with no eyes. The obvious, possibly grotesque, birth defect prompted the disciples to ask “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man or his parents?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “But he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him. We must perform the deeds of the one who sent me, as long as it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
It was the Sabbath. There would be condemnation from religious leaders but Jesus did the Father’s will. Right in front of His disciples Jesus performed an act of creation. Jesus spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, smeared the mud on the blind man’s eyes, and instructed him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. The man with the birth defect returned completely whole.
Astounded neighbors could hardly believe the fully sighted normal appearing man was the former beggar - the one born blind. The man assured them he was one in the same but didn’t even know who healed him! He was just obedient to the one who ministered to him. Convinced, the neighbors took him to the local Pharisees who grilled him about the miracle. Because it was the Sabbath, some of the Pharisees concluded “This Man is not from God, because He does not observe the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such miraculous signs?” When they couldn’t reach a consensus, they asked the formally blind man “What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?” “He is a prophet,” the man replied.
In spite of incontrovertible evidence and personal testimony the religious leaders refused to believe this fully sighted man was born blind or that a miracle had occurred on the Sabbath. There was neither historical nor scriptural precedent of birth defect healing and restoration.
His parents were called and relentlessly interrogated. They affirmed “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see.” With good cause the parents feared the power of the religious leaders. Anyone they excommunicated from the synagogue as an apostate traitor became a social and religious outcast.
“Ask him,” the parents said, “he is a mature adult. He will speak for himself.”
The man was recalled to the rabbinical court and ordered to testify under oath. “Promise before God to tell the truth. We know that this man is a sinner.” The man replied, “I do not know whether He is a sinner. I do know one thing – that although I was blind, now I can see.” When asked to repeat his testimony, the man responded “I told you already and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You people don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”
The religious leaders resorted to verbal abuse while endeavoring to justify their unbelief. “You are his disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man comes from!”
“This is a remarkable thing,’ the man replied, “that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is devout and does his will, God listens to him. Never before has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.”
Angry religious leaders shot back: “You were born completely in sinfulness, and yet you presume to teach us?” So they threw him out.
When Jesus heard the man had been expelled Jesus found him and asked “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
“Who is he, sir” the man replied, “that I may believe in him?”
“You have seen him; he is the one speaking with you,” Jesus affirmed.
“Lord, I believe,” the man responded and worshiped Him.
Jesus then added, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind.”
Some religious leaders who followed the man were taken aback. “We are not blind too, are we?” “If you were blind,” Jesus replied, you would not be guilty of sin, but now because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains.”
6. Woman, you are freed from your infirmity
Sometime later Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath, probably still in Judea, and met a severely disabled woman. For 18 years, she had been unable to stand straight because her back was so bent. Jesus called to her and declared “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” The moment Jesus placed His hands on her she straightened up and praised God.
But the synagogue’s condescending president didn’t approve of Sabbath healings and indignantly rebuked Jesus. “There are six days on which work should be done! So come and be healed on those days, and not on the Sabbath day.”
“You hypocrites!” His eyes blazed. “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall, and lead it to water? Then shouldn’t this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be released from this imprisonment on the Sabbath day?”
His adversaries were humiliated, but the entire crowd rejoiced at all the wonderful things Jesus did.
7. Is it or is it not lawful to heal on the Sabbath?
Late in His ministry Jesus was invited to dine at the home of a Pharisee probably in Perea, a town in the Decapolis. Standing in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. It was the Sabbath. Jesus asked His host and the other religious leaders “Is it or is it not lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” When no one answered, Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away. Then Jesus said to them, “Which of you, if you have a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” No one replied.
Were the Sabbath miracles and deliverances, another secret that has been hidden from the foundation of the world? Each presents a circumstance in which God erected a stop sign. Each person so He could bless, manifest His glory, power, authority, intervention and love.
 
A Sabbath Rest for God’s People - Part 5
And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment, so also… Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many,
Centuries before His birth, God revealed to Isaiah how the Messiah would live and die. Jesus was the liberator and deliverer who came to people walking in darkness to reveal the bright light of the Kingdom of God. He is the Light who shines on those who live in a land of deep darkness.
Jesus taught grace and truth, healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, performed miracles creating abundance, met needs and forever transformed lives of people within His sphere of influence. Although Jesus performed many miracles, they still refused to believe in Him. Isaiah’s prophesy was fulfilled. They listened continually, but didn’t understand! They looked continually, but didn’t perceive! Their hearts were calloused - their ears were deaf and their eyes were blind, so they never repented and received healing. Would it haven different if they had understood He was God’s emissary to reveal God’s purpose? Had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory who was God. Isaiah’s prophesies from Isaiah 52:13-15 and 53:3-12 are presented before each section.
H was despised and rejected by people - One who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness
Late in the third winter of His ministry, Jesus and some disciples were Perea, east of the Jordan River when they received word that His good friend Lazarus, who lived in Bethany (2 miles from Jerusalem), was gravely ill. When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not lead to death, but to God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it,” but they stayed in Perea for two more days. Then Jesus said, “Let us go to Judea again.” This concerned His disciples. “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders were just now trying to stone you to death! Are you going there again?”
Jesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble, because he sees the Light of this World. But if anyone walks around at night, he stumbles, because the Light is not in him. Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I am going there to awaken him.” The disciples didn’t understand. “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Jesus then told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
When they arrived in Bethany Lazarus was already buried and many friends were consoling his sisters Mary and Martha. Jesus privately assured Martha “Your brother will come back to life again.”
Martha agreed, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.”
“I AM the resurrection and the life” Jesus declared.”The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” Martha replied, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world.”
When Mary saw Jesus, she fell at His feet. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, he was distressed and intensely moved in His spirit and asked, “Where have you laid him?” They replied, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. Thus the people who had come to mourn said, “Look how much he loved him!” But some of them said, “This is the man who caused the blind man to see! Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus from dying?”
When Jesus, Martha, Mary, and their guests arrived at the tomb, He ordered that the stone to be removed. Martha objected. “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, because he has been buried four days.” Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. I knew that you always listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” Then He shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” Lazarus came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.” Many of the witness to the miracle believed in Jesus. But others went and reported the event to the Pharisees.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the ruling council (Sanhedrin) together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.”
Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” (Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, and not for the Jewish nation only, but to gather together into one the children of God who are scattered.) From that day they planned together to kill Him, but Jesus went away to a rural area and stayed there with his disciples.
Many people from rural areas who came to Jerusalem to prepare for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread looked for Jesus. They stood in the temple courts asking each other for an opinion, wondering if He would come to the Feast. The chief priests and Pharisees gave orders that if anyone who knew where to find Jesus to report to them so they could arrest Him.
Just a few days before Passover the people heard Jesus was visiting Lazarus and a large crowd went to Bethany to see them. Those who were already planning to kill Jesus decided to also kill Lazarus, because many of the Jewish people believed in Jesus because of Lazarus.
Two days before Passover the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest Caiaphas. They planned to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, so that there won’t be a riot among the people.”
He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth.Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth.
He was led away after an unjust trial but who even cared?
Jesus and the Apostles celebrated the Passover Seder in Jerusalem, then went to the Mount of Olives in the Kidron valley where He taught them and prayed much of the night. Early in the morning a squad of soldiers and some officers employed by the chief priests and Pharisees arrested Jesus, and took him shackled to the home of Annas, Caiaphas’ father-in-law. There Jesus was questioned about His teaching.
“I have spoken publicly to the world,” Jesus explained. “I always taught in the synagogues and in the temple courts, where all the Jewish people assemble together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said. They know what I said.”
When Jesus had said this, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby struck Him on the face. “Is that the way you answer the high priest?”
“If I have said something wrong, confirm what is wrong,” Jesus replied. “But if I spoke correctly, why strike me?” Then Jesus was sent, still shackled, to Caiaphas the palace of the high priest.
The chief priests, elders, experts in the law and the Sanhedrin met together, searching for evidence so that they could put Him to death. But they could find nothing. Many gave false testimony against Him, but their testimony did not agree. Some stood up and gave this false testimony - “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands and in three days build another not made with hands.’” Yet even on this point their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?” But He was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
“I AM,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What is your verdict?” They all condemned Him as deserving death. Some began to spit on Him. He was blindfolded, repeatedly struck with fists and taunted, “Prophesy!” Then the guards began to beat Him.
Indeed, He was cut off from the land of the living. Because of the rebellion of His own people He was wounded. Kings will be shocked by His exaltation, for they will witness something unannounced to them, And they will understand something they had not heard about.
While it was still early in the morning, Jesus was again shackled and taken to the residence of the Roman governor Pilate. Pilate came outside and asked, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They replied, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate told them, “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him according to your own law!” The Jewish leaders replied, “We cannot legally put anyone to death.”
“We found this man subverting our nation,” they continued, “forbidding us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar and claiming that He Himself is Christ, a king.” So Pilate asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You say so,” Jesus replied. The chief priests continued to shout accusations. Again Pilate asked, “Have you nothing to say? See how many charges they are bringing against you!” But Jesus made no further reply. Pilate was amazed.
So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, summoned Jesus, and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered the question with question. “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others told you about me?” Pilate returned the favor, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”
“My kingdom is not from this world, Jesus affirmed. “If My kingdom were from this world, My servants would be fighting to keep Me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate was intrigued. “So you are a king!”
“You say that I am a king.” Jesus responded. “For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.” Pilate pondered His response. “What is truth?”
Pilate realized they condemned Jesus because they were envious, so he went back outside to the chief priests and the crowd. “I find no basis for an accusation against this man.” But they persisted, “He incites the people by teaching throughout all Judea. It started in Galilee and ended up here!”
“But it is your custom” Pilate continued, “that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover. Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus who is called the Christ?” They shouted back, “Not this man.” So Pilate asked, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” They shouted, “Crucify him!” He asked, “Why? What wrong has he done?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!”
When Pilate realized He was a Galilean, he sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee and Perea who happened to be visiting Jerusalem. Herod had heard about Jesus and was glad to see Him, hoping to witness some miraculous sign. Herod attempted an intensive interrogation while, the chief priests and the experts in the law shouted vehement accusations, but Jesus never responded. Herod and his soldiers contemptuously mocked Jesus, dressed Him in elegant clothes, and sent Him back to Pilate.
From then on, Pilate tried to release Him. “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. When I examined him before you, I did not find this man guilty of anything you accused him of doing. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing deserving death. I will therefore have him flogged and release him.” But the Jewish leaders shouted out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar! Everyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar!”
Pilate sat down on the judgment seat (“The Stone Pavement”) and received a message from his wife - “Have nothing to do with that innocent man; I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream about him today.” Pilate had brought Jesus brought to him.
Pilate addressed the Jewish leaders, “Look, here is your king!” But the crowd shouted out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your king?” The high priests replied, “We have no king except Caesar!”
Pilate felt he could do nothing more and wanted to avoid a riot, so he took a basin of water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood. You take care of it yourselves!” In reply the crowd shouted out, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” Pilate turned Jesus over to his soldiers to be severely flogged.
He was so disfigured He no longer looked like a man. People were horrified at the sight. His form was so marred He no longer looked human so now He will startle many nations.
Pilate’s solders took Jesus into the governor’s residence. The entire cohort surrounded Him and stripped Him of His clothing and put a purple robe around Him. They braided a crown of thorns and placed it on His Head, put a staff in His right hand, knelt down and mocked, “Hail, king of the Jews!” They spit on Him and used the staff to strike Him repeatedly in His face and head.
Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish leaders, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation against him.” So Jesus came outside, wearing the crown of thorns and purple robe. Pilate presented Him - “Look, here is the man!” When the chief priests and their officers saw Him, they shouted out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said, “You take him and crucify him! Certainly I find no reason for an accusation against him!” The Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!”
When Pilate heard what they said, he was even more afraid, and went back into the governor’s residence and asked Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus gave no answer. So Pilate said, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority to release you, and to crucify you?”
“You would have no authority over me at all,” Jesus replied, “unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”
The soldiers continued to mock while they stripped Jesus of the robe and returned His own clothes. Then Pilate handed Him over and the soldiers led Jesus away to crucify Him.
People hid their faces from Him; He was despised, and we considered Him insignificant.
But He lifted up our illnesses, He carried our pain;
Jesus carried His own cross until the soldiers forced a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who visiting Jerusalem, to carry it. A large crowd followed, among them women who were mourning and wailing. But Jesus turned and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For this is certain: The days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore children, and the breasts that never nursed! Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ For if such things are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” They led Jesus and Simon to Golgotha - the “Place of the Skull.”
Look, my servant will succeed! He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted–
Jesus clearly indicated the kind of death He would die when He said, “When I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” Four days later His words came to fruition.
It was nine o’clock in the morning when Jesus and two criminals, one on His right and one on His left, were crucified. Pilate had a notice fastened to the cross which read: “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.” When they read this notice written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek the chief priests went to Pilate with a suggestion. “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am king of the Jews.’” Pilate was insulted. “What I have written, I have written.”
But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them - they don’t know what they are doing.”
The soldiers who crucified Jesus took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, but the seamless tunic, woven from top to bottom as a single piece remained. So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice to see who will get it.”
Spectators and passers-by shouted ridicule and insults. They shook their heads and said, “Aha! You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross!” The chief priests – together with the experts in the law – mocked Him among themselves: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one! Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” The soldiers offered Him sour wine and mocked, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”
One of the criminals hanging beside Him began to bitterly taunt, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other one rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” To Jesus he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom.” “I tell you the truth” Jesus assured him, “today you will be with Me in paradise.”
Standing beside Jesus’ cross were His mother and her sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and John, the disciple He loved standing there, Jesus said, “Woman, look, here is your son!” He then said to John, “Look, here is your mother!” From that very time John took her into his own home. Others watched from a distance - among them Mary the mother of James the younger and Joseph, along with Salome and other women who came with Him to Jerusalem.
Even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something He had done.He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins;He endured punishment that made us well; because of His wounds we have been healed. All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path, But the LORD caused the sin of all of us to attack Him.
At noon, darkness shrouded the entire land for about 3 hours. Then Jesus shouted, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some bystanders mocked, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah!” When Jesus knew everything required to satisfy scripture and fulfill the purpose for which He came to earth was accomplished, He said, “I am thirsty!” A soldier ran and got a sponge on a hyssop branch filled with sour wine, and gave it to Jesus. But the spectators said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to save him.” Jesus drank the sour wine and loudly cried out, “It is completed! Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” At the moment He bowed His head and breathed His last, the magnificent curtain which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies in the Temple was rent completely apart from top to bottom. When the centurion standing in front of Him saw how Jesus died, he averred, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
On the day Jesus died everyone was preparing for the 7th day Sabbath after Passover which began at sunset. The following day when Sabbath ended at sunset, the 50 day countdown to the Summer First Fruits Festival began (also known as Feast of Harvest, Feast of Weeks and Pentecost). Then, early on Sunday morning, the 1st day of the week, they celebrated Spring First Fruits with sacrifices and offerings.
Bodies could not stay on the crosses after Sabbath began at sunset so the Jewish leaders asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs broken and the bodies removed. Soldiers broke the legs of the two men crucified with Him, but when they came to Jesus He was already dead, so they did not break His legs. When a soldier pierced His side with a spear blood and water spewed out. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.” And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”
They intended to bury Him with criminals, but He ended up in a rich man’s tomb, Because He had committed no violent deeds, nor had He spoken deceitfully.
It was nearly sunset when Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the Sanhedrin, who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God and has not consented to the Sanhedrin’s plan and action, went boldly to Pilate and asked for His body. Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead and called the centurion who confirmed He had died somewhat earlier. So Pilate gave the body to Joseph. Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus at night, accompanied Joseph, carrying about a mixture of a myrrh and aloes weighing about seventy-five pounds. Then they took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen cloth saturated with the aromatic spices, and placed it in Joseph’s own new tomb hewn in the rock. Then they rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Though the LORD desired to crush Him and make Him ill,Once restitution is made, He will see descendants and enjoy long life, And the LORD’s purpose will be accomplished through Him. Having suffered, He will reflect on His work, He will be satisfied when He understands what He has done.
“My servant will acquit many, for He carried their sins. So I will assign Him a portion with the multitudes,He will divide the spoils of victory with the powerful, because He willingly submitted to death and was numbered with the rebels,When He lifted up the sin of many and intervened on behalf of the rebels.
If His death was the end of the story – if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone. Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day when God released Jesus from the pains of death. It was not possible for Jesus to be held in its power. Jesus made a covenant secured with blood, to release prisoners of sin and death.
Because of the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the dynamic of the entire universe changed.
God’s Gracious Gift
The first man, Adam, who is from the earth,
was made of dust and became a living person.
Through Adam’s sin,
transgression entered the world and multiplied.
Through Adam’s transgression,
all humanity was judged guilty
Through Adam, sin reigned and
all humanity was condemned.
By Adam’s transgression,
death reigned.
Just like Adam, all humanity is made of dust;
all bear the image of the man of dust.
The second man, Christ Jesus, who is from heaven, became a life-giving spirit.
Through God’s Gracious Gift Christ Jesus,
grace entered the world and multiplied.
Through Christ Jesus, God’s gift of grace,
any person who believes in Him is justified.
Through Christ Jesus, grace reigns and
any person who believes in Him is righteousness.
By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
eternal life reigns.
Let us be just like Christ Jesus;
let us bear the image of the Man of heaven.
To those who eagerly await Him He will appear a second time, to bring salvation
Early on first day of the week when the priests were preparing to make the Spring First Fruits offering and sacrifices in the Temple, Jesus arose from the grave. Christ was resurrected from the dead concurrently with Spring First Firsts in the Tempe, so Paul describes Him as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. After His resurrection, literally hundreds of people personally witnessed the risen Christ. He met with Cephas (Peter), James (His half-brother), the apostles, and then appeared to a group of more than five hundred Believers, most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote to the Corinthians.
Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus made a promise. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.” Then, while they were watching, Jesus was lifted up and ascended to heaven where He was seated at the right hand of the Father. As they were still staring into the sky, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them and asked “Why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.” He is coming again!
I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. Even on male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
John the Baptist was the first to proclaim the good news “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” “I will ask the Father,” Jesus promised, “and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth… who resides with you and will be in you. He will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.
It happened early in the morning on the Day of Pentecost, just 7 weeks after Jesus arose from the grave. The Apostles, Mary the mother of Jesus, along with His brothers and other Believers, about 120 in all were praying in unanimous agreement in an upstairs room in Jerusalem. Just after dawn on the day of the when tithes, Summer First Fruits, and Thank Offerings were presented to the LORD, the power of the LORD’s Spirit was released, the church was born, and the world forever changed.
Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. Tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit.
A person filled with the Holy Spirit is forever changed. Paul instructed Believers in Ephesus: Be filled with the Spirit! The Greek word plēroō translated as “filled” means to exercise control over thought and action. Paul gave examples of how one filled with the Spirit behaves - speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Out of reverence for Christ courteously defer to one another. Further evidence of the Holy Spirit control over one’s thoughts and behavior is displaying the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When the Holy Spirit exercises control over our thoughts and actions, He transformed our minds. He takes the initiative to place in our spirit the desire to obey God’s commands. We seek God not self-fulfillment. The Holy Spirit produces both absolute loyalty to and delight in obeying the LORD.
Paul learned Believers in Corinth were influenced by the pagan society and former religions which corrupted and caused division among the Believers, so he wrote to them about spiritual gifts and divine love. The Corinthian church includes former pagans (Greeks) inculcated by characteristics (and demonic spirits) of which ever idol had been worshipped, along with Jews who formerly kept Mosaic Law. Jealousies and rivalries erupted. Paul emphasized there is one Holy Spirit of God whose gifts are intended to benefit everyone. Paul identified a variety of gifts the Holy Spirit distributes to Believers: the message of wisdom, the message of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, performance of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, different kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. In the church - the body of Christ Jesus - each person performs an essential function whether that it appears to be of greater or lesser importance or honor. But there are three gifts which honors everyone. “You should be eager for the greater gifts” Paul declares, “a way that is beyond comparison.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit.
Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
But if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside… And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. Pursue love…
The Holy Spirit is Power for Life. It is His promise: you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit… you will receive power… you will be my witnesses. We are a witness or reflection of the internal impelling force which regulates our conduct. The impetus of a person filled with the Holy Spirit is moral excellence, virtue, truth, and divine love. Paul explained how Holy Spirit is the power which overcomes basic human instinct.
Jesus died to fulfill God’s requirement for righteousness – to be in right standing with Him. Anyone who asks receives His forgiveness and is righteous - no longer behaving according to one’s human nature, but according to the Spirit. Belief in Christ Jesus removes sin’s condemnation because the life-giving Holy Spirit liberates Believers from sin and death. Even though a Believer continues to live in a physical body, the Spirit - who is life - preserves one’s spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Life.
The mind-set and attitudes of a person who lives according to natural desires and impulses are shaped by human nature which is hostile to God. It cannot submit to God’s law nor please God. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. They are existing in the spirit of death.
The mind-set and attitudes of the person who lives according the Holy Spirit are shaped by the Spirit who is life and peace. The Believer in whom the Holy Spirit lives no longer lives according human nature and natural desires. Ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may conduct your self worthily of the Lord and please Him in all respects.
The Holy Spirit restores sight – people are seen from God’s perspective as His esteemed creation. The worth of each person is so great, that Christ Jesus, humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross, because He does not “wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
Sight restoration also reveals God’s previously unrecognized blessings, which may even have been perceived as entitlements. It is God who gives life and favor, and His intervention watches over one’s spirit. Sight refocus produces rejoicing in hope – a hope which never disappoints – because God’s glory and love is poured into one’s heart through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit restores hearing – God’s voice is clearly distinguished from the cacophony of the crowd. One desires to be a reflection of Christ Jesus. One’s thoughts, speech and behavior shifts to loving like Jesus loved. Anyone who accepts Christ Jesus as savior is a new creation – the old has passed away, and one is reconciled to the Creator of the universe - loved by the Father and filled with His Holy Spirit who reveals Christ Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath.
The Holy Spirit restores one’s mind: “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined are the things God has prepared for those who love him.” God’s Spirit who searches all things, even the deep things of God, reveals these things to the Believer. No one knows a person’s thoughts except that person’s spirit. In the same way no one knows God’s thoughts and intents, except His Spirit. God gave His Spirit to Believers so one can know what God has prepared for those who love Him. For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Paul gave thanks for Believers in Ephesus because of their faith in the Lord Jesus and love for each other. He prayed for their spiritual maturity, that that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of Him.
Paul praised God because the eyes of your heart – one’s mind and understanding - have been enlightened. Through this enlightenment one knows the hope of the Jesus’ call to partner with Him, the wealth of His glorious inheritance for each Believer, and the incomparable greatness of His power toward us who believe. God displayed His immense power and strength when He raised Jesus from the dead and seated Jesus at His right hand in the heavenly realms.
When God created the universe, His first act of creation was to establish the superiority of light over darkness. When Jesus returned to heaven God seated Jesus, the Light of the World, far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. He again established His superiority. God put all things under Christ’s feet. Then He established Jesus as the head of the church, to fill each Believer entirely with His presence and power.
Paul prayed that according to the wealth of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner person. He cites three practical applications.
 Through faith, Christ lives in your hearts.
 Through His divine love one is stabilized, established, and better able to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth, and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
 Through this knowledge, one is filled up to all the fullness of God – His presence and power.
“To Him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.”
 
A Sabbath Rest for God’s People – Part 6
Do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon,
or Sabbath days - these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ!
At God’s appointed time, He disclosed His purpose, hidden from the foundation of the world, for the entire world to know about His love and esteem for humanity. His vision to prosper and not to harm, to give each person a future filled with hope was displayed in Christ Jesus.
One who believes and accepts His redemption, is adopted by the Creator of the Universe as His child, no longer a slave, but with full rights of inheritance in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus even exposed God’s 4th Commandment’s intent when both the Father and the Son are working so the acts of God may be revealed. Sabbath is a time to do good, save lives, and receive healing, release from impossible circumstances and imprisonment, restoration of sight, when one shows mercy and judges with proper judgment. Sabbath confronts each person – Do you want to get well?
During the two millennia since God sent His first born son, are Believers fully persuaded that God, not humanity, perfectly defines His Sabbath - for a person to be blessed, set-apart, made holy, and receive His rest? It is time stop all striving – all self-effort to please God and believe in Christ Jesus. Through accepting Jesus as savior a person knows and experiences His work. Jesus is the Sabbath!
Perhaps it is time to review God’s gift and one’s responsibly.
Release - Christ Jesus is Cessation of Effort, Rest, and Refreshment
God gifted the world with His one and only Son, Christ Jesus, so that anyone who believes in Him will be saved from condemnation and have abundant eternal life. Jesus calls out “Come - all you who are weary and burdened. I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me. I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” Jesus invites each person to partner with Him.
Believe in the one whom the Father sent, accept His gift of salvation, and become His partner. Receive His release from worries, cares, and enslavement. Search His word and listen to His voice; live in His grace and truth, and experience abundance of life.
Rescue - Through Christ Jesus One is Blessed by God and Made Holy
Citizenship in the kingdom of God is God’s Gracious Gift. Kingdom benefits include: sanctification (set apart for His purpose); forgiveness (aphesis) of sins; justification (just as if one had never sinned); righteousness (right standing with God); and, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Worship God with awe and devotion. When a person who receives God’s unshakable kingdom prays “may your name be honored…” His name is honored through praise and thanks - no matter what occurs.
Humanity makes short-term judgments about events, circumstances, other people, and even one’s self, substituting one’s own wisdom for God’s wisdom. God’s perspective is eternity with complete foreknowledge of each moment by moment detail. God blesses – speaks His favor through His presence and intervention. One’s belief and unshakable confidence in God is revealed through blessing God – speaking celebration and adoration, recounting all His benefits. In His sight, the past is holy and unblemished, covered by His love; the present is under His control; the future is assured – nothing can separate anyone from Christ’s love.
Sabbath is a time to be released from cultural contamination - offensive thoughts, speech or behavior which denies Jesus’ sovereign rule. When confronted with the holy Sovereign Master, Isaiah realized he was corrupted by unworthiness greater than anything he could overcome. He could never praise the King. The touch of a coal from the altar – the altar signifying continual praise and thanksgiving to the LORD – cleansed and erased his sin and evil. One’s own altar, a focus on the Sovereign Master Christ Jesus, purges one’s defilement, clearly defines the face of the King, and one joins the heavenly chorus,
“Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful. His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!”
Sabbath is a time to change cultural contamination. God calls for His people, those who belong to Him to humble themselves, pray, seek to please Him, and repudiate their sinful practices. His promise is incredible - He will respond from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
Each Believer begins with one’s self, humbly seeking God and rejecting corrupting cultural mores, worshipping at the idol of self – it’s all about me - I’m smarter than God - God isn’t relevant.
Believers are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. The salt of the earth idiom refers to a person of admirable character, who flavors and enhances one’s sphere of influence while preserving one’s purity. A Believer is to illuminate - shine as lights in the world, be blameless and pure without blemish, not inculcated by a crooked and perverse society who habitually grumbles and argues.
Israel thought its sin was concealed, but its bondage was betrayed through the people’s conversation. In the same way, a Believer’s unshakable confidence in God is portrayed by speech and behavior. Paul illustrates behavior which pleases God and releases a person from the bondage of selfishness, unbelief and judgment. Paul urges each Believer to offer requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanks on behalf of all people, even for kings and all who are in authority. Such prayer for all is good and welcomed before God our Savior, since he wants all people to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. God is still on the throne – He rules, reigns and is in charge. He has visions of a future filled with hope for each person, family, community, nation, and even the whole world!
When anyone, even leaders, whose attitudes, behaviors, or decisions one finds troubling or offensive are surrendered to God for His intervention, He will resolve the issue and give the Believer direction. The Holy Spirit will guide and direct if some action is to be taken, and teach each person what words to speak or write. Or, His direction may be to love and pray. This is God’s prescription for each Believer to lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
Do not judge anything before the time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts. Then each will receive recognition from God. God will use whom ever He will use – even a flawed person like me - to fulfill His word. What we may perceive as a wrong choice, may be God’s chosen instrument.
A person who believes in Christ Jesus becomes His agent to share His blessings with other people in need. Paul called these actions works of righteousness. A person is not made righteous by these actions – a person takes these actions because of one’s right standing with God. Jesus described the scene in which each Believer will give an account to God:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. The king will say ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’”
Jesus also had a message for the person who failed to help another person in need. “Just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.” The king will say “Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!”
But it’s not too late to start over! God promises that when one is obedient and humble, repents, and repudiates sinful practices, He responds from heaven brings healing to each individual and the nation.
Redemption - Through Christ Jesus Each Person Knows God’s Work
God is love. Jesus manifested love and revealed a new commandment - “to love one another.” Just as Jesus demonstrated His love, “you also are to love one another.” Everyone will know the identity of His disciples – “if you have love for one another.” Divine love cannot be conjured up by will or emotion – it is a gracious gift from God. Divine love grants rest from the shackles of hatred, animosity, unforgiveness, or hostility. The God of love places His own Divine Spirit in the heart of the Believer, so the life and light of Christ Jesus shines through the darkness to reveals God’s truth.
Our responsibility to Christ Jesus is to love, obey and foster unity. “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.” Loving is not an option. In fact, one is not to have silly disputes over differing opinions, pass judgment on, place an obstacle or offensive trap in front of, or destroy anyone for whom Christ died. One who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people.
Through the one deed God requires, to believe in the one whom God sent, a person is released from sin and humanity’s contrived religious rites, rituals, rules, traditions, proud self-righteousness or cultural mores, and rests in Jesus alone. Divine love is the product of that belief. Jesus defined evidence of one’s love for Him like this: “Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.” While humanity concocts distorted counterfeits of love, Jesus outlines the steps: “Love your enemies (including anyone thought to be offensive), do good (grant honor and respect) to those who hate you, bless (speak well of) those who curse you, pray (in love) for those who mistreat you… so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you… Treat others in the same way that you would want them to treat you… Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” This divine love is possible only through the transformation of one’s spirit by the Spirit who is from God, so one knows – is fully persuaded about - the things that are freely given by God.
Jesus prayed for unity among Believers. His prayer included Believers throughout the ages that “they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one – I in them and you in me – that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.” What happened?
Insidious malignant heresies attempted to destroy the early church. Salvation through God’s Grace apart from Mosaic Law was taught until a group tried to insert legalism, teaching that circumcision according to the custom of Moses was necessary for salvation. The Council in Jerusalem refuted this teaching which Paul likened to “putting God to the test,” and defined it as “a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear… We are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus.”
Paul also wrote a letter to Believers in Galatia to clarify that one is saved by God’s grace - not works. “You were called to freedom,” Paul explained “only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself… We have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” Regarding those who were attempting to impose legalistic requirements, Paul wrote “I wish those agitators would go so far as to castrate themselves!
Two other heresies also came into vogue. According to Peter, “These men… by considering it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight are stains and blemishes, indulging in their deceitful pleasures… By forsaking the right path they have gone astray… and are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm… By speaking high-sounding but empty words they are able to entice, with fleshly desires and with debauchery, people who have just escaped from those who reside in error. Although these false teachers promise such people freedom, they themselves are enslaved to immorality. For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved.” These teachings prompted the Council in Jerusalem to instruct Believers to abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols, blood, what has been strangled, and sexual immorality. Revelations also cites the Nicolaitanes who led lives of licentious unrestrained indulgence and went to local congregations endeavoring to gain adherents. In one form or another, these heresies still infect the Christian church.
Paul wrote a letter to his protégé Timothy which could be a newspaper headline or evening news excerpt. “In the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God. They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power.”
Some religions endeavor to impose law, rules, regulations, traditions and cultures but exclude and condemn someone who is different – attempting to confine God and His grace within parameters of human creation. Anyone who disagrees is offensive and outside consideration.
Others take a spiritual and moral freedom approach - each person decides what to believe, nothing is sinful, and include almost anyone but forsake the living God, who is no longer considered relevant. Anyone considered too fundamental, evangelistic, or Pentecostal is labeled a fanatic or distained as a hypocrite with the implication such loonies are unworthy to participate in polite society.
Each approach could be defined as worshipping the idol of pride: I’m smarter than God so I can define requirements or insinuating God isn’t relevant or needed so I’ll decided what is right. God is Sovereign over the entire universe. He makes the rules, laws and statutes.
God, not humanity, decides what perfectly pleases Him. God made Christ Jesus the head of the church. His body of Believers looks like Jesus in belief, attitude, and behavior. The requirement for join His church is belief – having unshakable confidence in Jesus. He calls “whosoever.” Whosoever believes in Jesus does the will of the Father, receives forgiveness of sins, and has eternal life. Jesus gave a new commandment – “to love one another just as I have loved you.” Each person is of such value Jesus was willing to die so no one who believes in Him is condemned but rather has eternal life.
God doesn’t view things the way humanity does. People look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. The word of God… is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. Nothing is hidden from God - everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.
The unity for which Jesus prayed is through the Holy Spirit who is the bond of peace. Paul urged Believers to live worthily of Christ Jesus’ call to partner with Him, and conduct one’s self with all humility and gentleness and patience, bearing with one another in love… There is one body and one Spirit… one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Believers are also to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so each Believer will be like Jesus.
 
A Sabbath Rest for God’s People - Part 7
“May the God of peace himself make you completely holy.
May your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is trustworthy. He will in fact do this.
It is time to Go up and possess the land God has given you, Sabbath Rest in the kingdom of God. Through faith in Christ Jesus one is declared righteous. Through faith in Christ Jesus one is at peace with God. Through faith in Christ Jesus one has access to God’s grace – His power working for, in, through, and around a person, exerting power and accomplishing changes one can never in-and-of one’s self achieve. Therefore, rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. Rejoice in suffering and its positive purpose.
Suffering produces endurance,
endurance produces character,
and character produces hope - a hope that never disappoints, because
through the Holy Spirit the love of God is poured out in one’s heart.
The God of hope fills you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Grace and peace be will be lavished on you as you believe, obey, and grow in the rich knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord! By His own glory and excellence Christ Jesus calls each person to partner with Him. Through His divine power He bestows on each Believer everything necessary for abundant life and godliness. God confers His precious and most magnificent promises on each Believer so one escapes worldly corruption produced by evil desire, and becomes a partaker of the His divine nature. Believe and obey – add to your faith, excellence,
to excellence, knowledge;
to knowledge, self-control;
to self-control, perseverance;
to perseverance, godliness;
to godliness, brotherly affection;
to brotherly affection, divine love.
According to Peter, the Believer who possesses and continually grows in these characteristics is effective and productive in pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately and experiencing His divine power. When one takes delight in the LORD, He will answer your prayers.
The person who does not pursue the rich knowledge of Christ Jesus and His divine power is blind and forgetful. That person’s shortsighted focus on one’s self is evidence the Lord’s gracious gift of pardon – His release, rescue, redemption, and cleansing from sin – has been forgotten. How can anyone escape worldly corruption if such great salvation is neglected?
Belief, obedience, and the diligent pursuit of the knowledge of Christ Jesus is the enabling power for one’s conduct to be pleasing to God. Through unshakable confidence in His power, presence and response to prayer, one will never stumble into sin and the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is richly provided.
My plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds. Just as the sky is higher than the earth, So my deeds are superior to your deeds and my plans superior to your plans.
The promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend. Indeed you will go out with joy; you will be led along in peace.
“This is my promise… My Spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth,
Will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward. All your children will be followers of the LORD, and your children will enjoy great prosperity.
After investigation and personal experience, I avow that it is true - there is a Sabbath rest in God’s kingdom for the people of God. It is the same rest Jesus offered to anyone who is weary and burdened to learn from Him, to partner with Him, and find rest for one’s soul. His Sabbath rest is available to each and every child of God.
The “day” God ordained as His Holy Sabbath Rest is not a day of the week – it is “Today.” God spoke through the psalmist, “O, that today you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts.”
Those to whom His rest was previously offered did not enter because of unbelief and disobedience. Entering His rest is one’s protection from following that same pattern and missing His Land of Promise.
I will put a new Spirit within you.
I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh.
I will put My Spirit within you;
I will take the initiative and you will obey My statutes and carefully observe my regulations
Just as God ceased all the work that He had been doing, I partnered with Jesus and relinquished all self-help striving to please Him and keep my life and family intact. Jesus held up His stop sign - He caused me to stop working, and invited me to humbly seek Him so I can receive His blessings and manifestation of His glory, intervention and love. That is what His does – it is His responsibility.
Ever since God created the world, His invisible attributes – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen. All my doubt and fear, questioning God’s motives and wisdom was not just futility in my mind - I was a stranger and enemy of God expressed through my houghts, words and behavior! I had exchanged God’s truth for a lie and worshiped and served the idol of self - thinking and behaving as if God wasn’t relevant – He wasn’t needed - I was just a victim.
I asked God for a heart and mind transplant, so I would recognize the authority of the LORD Who Commands Armies. He is the One I must respect; He is the One I must fear, and surrendered to the only One with the perfect solution each care, every worry, and all concerns. He gave me peace. I was strengthened by His joy when my confidence, hope and destiny were place in Him hands. On earth I released my imperfect judgments. In heaven He is released to manifest perfect intervention. God changed me then began changing my circumstances.
Why are you upset? Wait for God! Do not be anxious about anything.
Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God.
And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
I will again give thanks to my God for His saving intervention.
The account of His intervention will be recorded for future generations;
People yet to be born will praise the LORD.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.